Uncharted Territory
by Nicole4211
Summary: Lucy gets a notice that her apartment will be undergoing renovations and has to stay with Natsu for a while. Strange thoughts start to plague her and she has to fight her bodies response to the man she considers her best friend during an adventure they hadn't planned on going on.
1. Chapter 1

**Here comes another Natsu/ Lucy romance! This chapter might be a little slow but I hope you will bear with it. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

My large purple suitcase bounced uneasily over the rocks and pebbles on the path as I dragged it towards the small stone building over the hill. As I heaved the heavy bag up the wooden stairs I looked at the cute little sign in the shape of a cat's head and smiled, surprised that it wasn't in the shape of a fish. Grunting with the effort, I continued down the dirt path and sighed with relief when I finally reached the arched front door outlined with large protruding stones.

'Ugh, how had it come to this?' I groaned in my head, thinking back to the previous day when my landlady had told me that she needed to do some renovating on my apartment so I needed to find somewhere else to stay for a week or possibly even two. I'd pitched a royal fit but in the end it hadn't mattered one stinkin' bit so here I was, a weeks worth of clothing and toiletries packed neatly in my bag as I stood outside of Natsu and Happy's house. The only good thing was that the landlady wasn't making me pay rent at all for the entire month… I hope that wasn't a sign of how long it was going to take.

I took a deep breathe and lifted my hand to knock on the door but just as I was about to pound on the wooden plank the door swung open and standing on the opposite side was Natsu and Happy, both with huge grins on their faces.

"Lucy!" they cried in unison and I smiled meekly at the two of them, afraid to see the disaster area that was Natsu's place.

"Hi guys," I said and was pleasantly surprised when Natsu stepped back and I could see the inside of his place. It was actually decent, a few things lying around here and there but for the most part a huge improvement from the last time I'd gone to his place. "You managed to keep it semi-clean," I commented as I entered and dropped my bag to the floor against the wall.

"We aren't home much," Happy said and I nodded my head in understanding, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa.

"Happy and I were going to go fishing. Do you want to come?" Natsu asked while he walked to the corner of the room and picked up his fishing pole.

"No thanks. I'll stay here and unpack my stuff while you're gone," I answered and watched the two of them grab their stuff and dash out the door with a quick wave and a loud good bye screamed from both of their departing forms. It was weird sitting alone in their place and I quickly got up and started going through my suitcase, pulling out my bag of toiletries and making my way to the bathroom on the opposite side of the room. As I walked over I peaked inside a small room which was Natsu's bedroom and grimaced at the sight of his thin mattress lying on the ground. The thing was barely two inches thick and lay over a hard wooden floor.

Man that looked uncomfortable. Now I know why he likes my bed so much.

Moving into the bathroom I plopped my bag on the small counter and balked when I noticed there was no mirror in the small room. No wonder Natsu's hair was always a spiky mess. How was I going to go a whole week without a mirror? I laid out my things, smiling as I dropped my toothbrush in the cup next to Natsu's and Happy's. It was kind of cute sharing something as intimate as a toothbrush holder… don't ask me why I thought so but I just did.

I headed back out to the main room and once again glanced at the thin mattress on Natsu's floor which only had a single tattered blanket covering it. An idea popped into my head and I quickly grabbed my wallet from my bag and bolted out of the front door. It took me a few minutes to walk back to town and once there I headed straight for the furniture store.

"How can I help you?" a man asked before the door was even closed behind me.

"I wanted to take a look at your beds," I answered, stepping further into the large room.

"Right this way Ma'am," he said and led me to the back of the store where several different bed frames and mattresses were on display. "What type were you looking for?"

I scanned the assortment, looking for one similar to my own and spotted one on the right side with a plush mattress and a simple iron frame. I walked over to it and sat down on the soft mattress and then laid back, bouncing a little bit to see how it felt and decided it was perfect. Wow, that was easy!

"How much is this one?" I asked as I sat up.

The man told me a reasonable figure and I asked, "Is that for both the frame and the mattress?"

He nodded and instantly I told him that I would take it, grinning from ear to ear.

"Would someone be able to deliver it for me?" I asked as I followed the man to the register.

"I can get a few people to deliver it now if you'd like," he answered and I beamed happily at the man. This was so perfect! Natsu was going to freak! Sure, it maybe was a bit extravagant for a gift but he _was_ letting me stay with him for a week or two and since I didn't have to pay rent at all this month I had the extra money. Plus it just felt good to do something for him. He was my best friend after all.

I paid the man and then gave him directions to Natsu's house. He said that they would be there within the hour and I left the shop with a hop to my step as I walked through the small district market. I stopped in another shop and purchased new sheets as well as a plush green comforter for the bed and then decided to pick up some food on my way in the market, a little weary of whatever Natsu might have lying around his place and then I headed back.

Luckily Natsu and Happy weren't back yet from their little fishing trip and I quickly went to work putting the few things I'd bought away in the few cabinets in the place as well as the small refrigerator and then finished unpacking my stuff, leaving my clothes in the bag since I had no place else to put them. By the time I finished, the moving men were here and they quickly carried in the frame and mattress, setting it up in the small room and then leaving with barely a word spoken.

"Yay!" I hollered and grabbed the sheets and blanket, carrying them into Natsu's room and went to work making his bed. I was busy tucking the flat sheet beneath the mattress when I heard the door creak in the other room.

"Natsu?" I yelled out questioningly and tiptoed towards the door to the main living area.

"Hi Lucy! Look at all the fish we caught!" Happy answered, holding up a string of fish as he flew inside the house.

"Wait! Don't come in here!" I yelled and slammed the bedroom door shut.

Behind me and through the door I could hear Natsu walking inside the house and asking Happy what was going on who replied that he had no idea and that all he knew was that he wasn't allowed to go into the bedroom and that he thought I was weird. Stupid cat…

"Lucy!" Natsu hollered from the other side of the door while he knocked loudly.

"Just a minute!" I yelled back and quickly started making his bed again. I tore the comforter out of the bag and unfolded it before shaking it out and laying it over the bed. 'Ah crap… pillows! How could I forget pillows?' I groaned and smacked my hand against my forehead. 'Oh well. He'll just have to use what he was using before.' Unfortunately the single pillow he had was so flat it barely was thicker than the comforter but I did my best trying to fluff it up and then stood back to assess my work.

'Eeks! I hope he likes it,' I squealed inside my head and then said out loud, "Ok guys. You can come in now."

Immediately the door swung open and both Natsu and Happy stood staring dumbly inside in the doorway. Scratching his head, Natsu asked, "You brought your bed over?"

I chuckled and took a seat on the mattress. "No. This isn't my bed."

"Whose is it?" Happy asked, flying over to the bed and falling down on top of it. "It's so ssssooooft!"

"It's for you guys. Kind of a thank you for letting me stay here," I answered and the look on Natsu's face was so precious it made everything worth it.

"This is for us?" he said incredulously and I nodded my head with a huge smile on my face. Suddenly he jumped across the room and landed on top of the bed, the mattress creaking violently and I cringed, worried that the whole thing would fall apart. Thankfully it didn't and I stood up to let Natsu and Happy bounce around.

"Lucy is the best!" yelled Happy as he jumped up and landed on top of Natsu's head.

"Yea!" agreed Natsu and I just stood there with a stupid grin on my face as I watched them.

"Alright well, let's go make dinner," I suggested.

"Can we eat in bed?" Natsu asked.

"No. You'll make a mess of it before you even use it."

Grudgingly, Natsu got off the bed and followed me out to the main room with Happy trailing behind.

A little bit later after I finished making dinner since I was afraid of whatever Natsu and Happy would come up with, I sat down on the sofa and stared glumly out the window at the darkening sky. "So what do you guys usually do here?" I asked. Natsu was sitting across the room on his hammock, the bowl of food resting on his chest as he shoveled bite after bite of food into his mouth.

"Go to your place," he answered and I laughed. Guess I should have figured that one out. "So what should we do?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Natsu answered.

"Hmm…," I said while I tried to think of some ideas. "Maybe we can play a game."

"What kind of game?" Natsu asked.

"I have plans!" Happy mumbled as he continued to munch on his fish.

"What plans do you have?" Natsu asked irritably.

"Charle and I have a date!"

"You do?" I asked incredulously.

"Yea. We're going to visit the rest of the Exceeds."

"How's that a date?" Natsu asked.

"I'm gonna be with her aren't I?" Happy answered.

"That doesn't mean it's a date," I inserted and received an evil glare from Happy.

"How long are you going for? And why are you leaving so late?" Natsu asked.

Happy got up from his seat on the floor and put his plate away. "Just a few days. Charle had to do something with Wendy all day so we decided to meet now. Cya guys!"

"What the…," I said as Happy flew out the front door and left us.

"So, what kind of game?" Natsu asked again, finishing his bowl of food and walking across the room to set it down in the small sink.

"Ummm, I don't know. Do you have cards?"

I watched Natsu walk across the room to a small desk and start riffling through a drawer. "Yea, here's one," he said excitedly. "I don't know many card games though."

"That's ok. I'll teach you." I moved to the far end of the couch so that Natsu could take a seat on the other side and we turned to face each other, leaving the center cushion open for us to lay our cards out on. His wide eyes looked across the space at me, waiting for me to explain whatever it was we were going to play and I momentarily lost my breath.

What the heck was with me lately? Over the past several weeks I'd found myself having moments like this where I'd find myself suddenly entranced by some aspect of Natsu's body, whether it be his stunningly expressive eyes or his perfectly sculpted abs. It was unsettling to say the least. I shook my head to try to clear my thoughts and started shuffling the deck with both of my hands to distract myself.

"Ok, let's play…," my brain scanned through several games, trying to pick something easy to explain. "Rummy, hearts, poker…"

"I've played poker before," Natsu cut in.

"Uh sorry, I shouldn't have suggested it. We don't have any playing chips so we don't have anything to wager on," I said. "Let's just play rummy. It's not hard to learn."

"Alright," Natsu answered and I started dealing out the cards while I explained the rules. He listened intently and when we started playing it only took him a few hands to get a good grasp on the game.

"Do you wanna make it a little more interesting?" I suggested while I watched Natsu's hands shuffle the deck of cards easily.

His face was turned downwards to watch his hands as he continued to shuffle but he peaked his eyes up quickly to ask, "How?"

Why was that so sexy? Ugh, get a grip Lucy.

"I'll be right back," I said and jumped up from the couch to distract myself and made my way to the small kitchen in the corner, opening the refrigerator door and pulling out a large bottle. I grabbed two small glasses from the cupboard and walked back over to the sofa, wondering if this maybe wasn't a good idea considering my wayward thoughts of late but quickly pushed the doubts aside.

"Sake?" Natsu questioned when I sat down and handed him one of the glasses.

"Loser has to take one shot after each round and if they lose by more than 100 points they have to take two shots. First though we need to take one to start the game together." I poured a generous amount into both of our glasses and we both gulped them down together before we started our first game.

After several hands which had surprisingly left us both even with the number of shots we had to take I started to slightly feel the effects, my cheeks flushing hotly and my skin tingling pleasantly. "Hey Natsu, what do you want to do tomorrow?" I asked as I laid down a three of a kind.

Natsu repositioned his legs so that he was sitting cross legged, his legs folded beneath him and leaned forward as he picked up a card from the deck. "I don't know. Maybe we should do a job."

My eyes followed his arm as he picked up his card and I let them linger over his well defined biceps which flexed as he moved. Wow, he had incredible arms. His triceps bulged as he set down a card on the couch and I felt my tummy fluttering strangely at the action. What was it about alcohol that made you focus on the strangest things?

"Hmm… a job will probably be a good idea," I answered and stared at Natsu's face as he studied his cards. His brows were furrowed as he concentrated, his eyes narrowing and with one hand he started to absentmindedly play with his bottom lip.

I quickly took my turn, not paying much attention so that I could sit back again and watch him. There was no harm in admiring a good looking man was there; even if he was my best friend… right?

"We should play on the new bed," Natsu said and my eyes shot up to stare into his. What did he just say? "We could spread out more on there."

"Oh," I tried to slow the rapid beating of my heart. He'd just meant playing cards on the bed. Duh Lucy. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

He laid out a run of four and then discarded his last card and smirked up at me. "Take a drink Lucy."

"Agh, not fair," I complained and started pouring myself another shot. I grimaced at the biting taste and as I was putting my glass down, Natsu tipped the bottle over my glass and started to refill it.

"I beat you by more than 100 points."

I groaned and swallowed the contents in a quick swig then leaned back on the arm of the sofa, the room starting to spin.

"Why isn't it a good idea?" Natsu asked, dealing out another hand of cards.

"What a good idea?" The center of my attention at the moment was Natsu's chest. His slightly tanned skin looked so warm and soft, the muscles stretching enticingly over the expanse.

"Playing on the bed," he answered.

"Oh right. Because," why was it a bad idea again? Damn, too many things to concentrate on.

"Come on. I wanna sit on my new bed," Natsu said and picked up the cards as well as the bottle and walked into the bedroom. The alcohol didn't seem to be affecting him at all as he walked steadily through the room but just as he passed through the doorway I caught him bumping into the corner with his shoulder and bouncing off with a small chuckle. Maybe he _was_ feeling the effects… just a little.

"Natsu!" I hollered from the other room, wobbling my way through. When had the place gotten so big?

"Hurry up Lucy!" he hollered back.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Sheesh, he was so impatient. Finally I made it to the doorway and leaned heavily on the wooden frame as I looked inside. Natsu was already on the bed, his back facing the wall and his legs were spread out wide in a V shape as he started dealing out the cards again.

"I don't think I can play anymore," I mumbled and started walking towards the bed. It certainly looked inviting.

"One more hand."

I sat on the opposite side of the bed and sagged forward, bracing my weight on my outstretched arms. "Fine but… but you have to take a few drinks first. I'm way more drunk than you are and it's not fair."

"I'm only two drinks behind you," he complained but I poured him another shot and held it out to him anyway.

"Here. Drink."

He grinned at me and then grabbed the glass from my hand before swallowing it down and then handed it back over to me, his fingers brushing against my own briefly and making a strange sensation pass through my arm and down into my gut. I snatched my hand back, a bit too quickly and wobbled where I sat; catching myself before I fell to the side.

"Are you ok?" Natsu asked.

Crap, he saw that. "Yea, I'm fine. Give me my cards."

"They are right in front of you," he said and laughed.

I looked down at the mattress and sure enough, a small pile of cards lay in front of me. I picked them up and tried to sort them into some semblance of order but for some reasons the numbers were blurry and the cards seemed really slippery. Natsu had already taken his turn and I reached forward to grab a card from the deck, careful to not let my eyes look across the way. I needed to pay attention this round. If I had another drink I'd probably start feeling sick.

"What time do you think it is?" I asked. I stared at my cards while Natsu took his turn and I felt the bed shift slightly when Natsu moved into a new sitting position.

"Looks late. I hope Happy made it ok," he answered and I nodded my head in agreement.

After several turns, I finally managed to discard out and I cried out in excitement, throwing my hands in the air triumphantly. "Last drink is for you!" I grabbed the bottle from the floor and filled up his glass, spilling a little bit of it on the comforter and cringing. "Shoot, sorry."

"My new bed!" he cried out and started rubbing at the wet spot. I held the glass up and I was slightly shocked when Natsu leaned forward while he continued to rub at the wet spot with the corner of his shirt and pressed his lips to the glass with me still holding it. I tipped it back, trying to be as careful as I could to not spill it and watched Natsu's mouth as he drank it down. As careful as I'd been, two streams of clear liquid slipped down from either corner of his lips and I watched it drip over his chin and then down his throat to his chest. My eyes fastened to the area, drinking in the sight of his bare skin between the openings of his vest and I gulped audibly at the sight. I wanted to reach my hand out and touch him, press my palm against his hard chest and rub it over…

"Lucy?" Natsu said, interrupting my thoughts and I jerked my head up embarrassingly to look at his face.

"I uh, I gotta go to the bathroom," I said quickly and nearly jumped off the bed. As soon as I stood up I toppled backwards and landed butt first on the mattress but I got up again and practically ran from the room. Thankfully I made it to the small room without too much trouble and as soon as I had the door closed I leaned my back against it and breathed a heavy sigh. I must be losing my mind. This was Natsu! Why was I thinking things like this?

I stumbled over to the sink and turned on the cold water before cupping my hands under the stream and throwing the water on my face. It felt good, the cool water easing some of the heat that had been building in my cheeks. I leaned on the sink, my arms supporting my weight where they gripped the edges of the white porcelain and breathed in and out slowly.

Okay, much better.

Slowly I made my way back out of the bathroom and stopped in the doorway to Natsu's room. He was laying back, his arms crossed beneath his head and he turned slightly to the side to look at me when he heard me. The two sides of his vest were parted and had completely fallen to the side so his entire stomach was open to my view and I had to close my eyes and turn away, walking to the couch and lying down while I fought my indecent thoughts.

"Lucy, where did you go?" Natsu called out and I heard the bed squeak like he was getting up from it.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep," I said. The blanket I'd brought from home was folded and sat on the floor beside the couch and I reached my hand out to grab it, not wanting to get up so I stretched as far as I could but just as I was about to grasp it between two fingers I rolled and fell off the couch to the floor.

"Ouch!" I hollered as I sat up and reached a hand up to rub the side of my head where I'd banged it on the floor. Suddenly Natsu was beside me and he pushed my hand away and then gently grabbed both sides of my head, leaning forward and to the side slightly to see the injured area.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, concern in his voice as he tentatively poked the sensitive area with his fingers.

I gulped at his nearness, a lump forming in my throat and answered, "I- I'll be alright."

His wide eyes stared in to mine and I bit my lower lip nervously. I could feel my heart pounding inside my chest and something in my gut clenched deliciously. God I wanted him! Every fiber in my body screamed to touch him. He was just so intoxicating, his smell, the way his eyes stared so boldly into mine and the feel of his fingers still holding my head like it was some precious object.

"You should sleep on the bed tonight. You bought it. I can sleep on the couch," Natsu said. He was still kneeling in front of me, his hands moving from my head to my shoulders. His fingers felt like fire as they moved over my skin and, to my ultimate horror my body shuddered.

"N… No. That's ok. I bought it for you."

Slowly he helped me back up on to the couch and I pulled the blanket over myself while he stood up. "Are you sure?" Natsu asked, looking down at me.

"Yes, thank you though. Good night," I said and was thankful but also slightly disappointed as I watched him walk back into his bedroom, calling out good night as he went.

Ugh, why was I being like this? Why did I want to follow him into his bed? How many times had I kicked him out of my own and now here I am, wishing I was laying down with him. I turned over and faced the back of the couch, grunting as my world still spun even though my eyes were closed. I could hear the springs of the mattress creak in the other room and I imagined Natsu laying down, his body wrapped warmly under the covers.

I wonder if he slept in his clothes like he does at my place?

My mind imagined him sprawled out, shirtless over the crisp new sheets. Maybe he was only in his boxers too. Oh how wonderful it would be to just run my hands over his torso, feel every muscular ridge from his shoulders to his waist. My fingers started to itch and I gripped a handful of my blankets in my fists. This was torture. I'm never having alcohol again… at least not in Natsu's presence.

I twisted and turned on the couch, unable to get comfortable no matter which way I laid and finally I gave up and sat up.

Water, yes I wanted some water.

I stood up and wobbled my way to the sink, the only light in the room coming from the moon shining through the windows and I grabbed a clean glass from the cabinet and filled it up with water from the tap. Leaning on the counter I chugged the whole thing down, getting more on myself than in my mouth but I didn't care, it felt good. I put the glass away and walked back towards the couch, glancing towards Natsu's open door as I went and paused. Hmm… maybe just one peak.

I snuck quietly to the doorway and craned my neck around the frame to get a glimpse inside. I could just barely make out the outline of Natsu in the center of the bed, curled up on his side facing me and the blanket pulled up to his chest. He looked so adorable, his face in restful repose and I had the strongest urge to run my fingers over his cheek and down his jaw.

I sighed heavily and turned back to my uninviting couch. This was going to be a long night.

To be continued…

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**The beginning of a new Mature fanfic… how exciting! I hope it wasn't too slow and that you will continue to read on. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and to all who decided to follow this story!**

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**Chapter 2**

I woke up to a strange noise and my body instantly tensed up, my ears attuned to whatever it was shuffling across the floor. I turned my head and just as I did, a door slammed closed and startled me, making me gasp and jump. That's when I realized I was in Natsu's house and not my own and that the noise was more than likely Natsu walking into the bathroom. Sure enough, a minute later the door slowly opened again and Natsu came walking out, clad in only his boxers as he scratched his belly and yawned loudly.

"Good morning, Lucy," Natsu said as he yawned again and walked across the room to plop down on the sofa that _I was sleeping on._ I had to wiggle all the way over against the back of the sofa for him to fit and I groaned as I complained.

"Go away."

I tried to close my eyes and roll back over but the sight of his bare chest and stomach caught my attention and was way too tempting so I kept them slit open as I admired the view. He leaned back, his body lying partially over my own with his arms crossed behind his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. "The bed felt sooo good," he said.

"That's good. Now leave me alone. I'm still sleeping," I said and pulled the covers up to my chin, my eyes still slightly open.

"Get up. We gotta do a job today," Natsu said, pushing my shoulder with his hand.

I groaned in response and slapped his hand away but he persisted and when I rolled over so that I was lying flat on my stomach he fell on top of me and pinned me to the cushions.

"Natsu! Get off me!" I cried, suddenly _way_ too aware of his body against mine. Sure there was a thick blanket between us but I could still feel every inch of him and it was _very_ unsettling. Besides that, his face was mere inches from mine; so close that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck as he struggled to stay on top of me while I wiggled fruitlessly beneath him.

"Wake up!" he said, grabbing hold of my hands and pinning them against the sofa above my head. Something about the position made my entire body react, fire blazing through my veins and my innards twisting as strange sensations exploded in my belly. His hips fit snuggly over my own and his legs were resting between mine. _Oh boy, this was way too intimate._

Natsu must have noticed it too because he immediately jumped up and off of the sofa, standing beside it with wide eyes and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh, I'm gonna go take a shower," he said quickly and then darted across the room, practically slamming the door behind him as he entered the bathroom.

Ha! So Natsu isn't completely immune.

By this point, I was wide awake and knew there was no way I was going back to sleep so I got up and started folding my blanket then grabbed myself something to drink from the kitchen. I could hear the water being turned off a few minutes later and then the door swung open, Natsu walking through with only a towel wrapped around his hips. _Ugh! Why does this have to keep happening?!_

Thankfully he walked straight to his bedroom and closed the door behind him and I quickly made my way into the bathroom, a pile of clothes in my hand. When I emerged a little bit later, Natsu was fully clothed (thank goodness) and lying on his hammock as he flipped the pages of some book he was reading.

"You ready to go?" he asked, putting the book down on a side table and standing up.

"Mmhmm," I answered and we walked out the front door together on our way to the guild hall.

"Natsu… Lucy!" Mira hollered across the room as we walked through the door. She was waving a piece of paper in her hand as she skipped over to us and when we reached each other she stopped and smiled her beautiful, sweet smile at us. "I have the perfect job for you guys," she said and I seriously wondered if she had psychic abilities.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It says…

_Wanted: Fire breathing wizard. Payment will be an experience you will remember forever._

"A fire breathing wizard? Why would someone need that specifically?" I asked. Natsu was standing beside me, his arms crossed over his chest as he listened to Mira and I speak.

"I'm not sure but it sounds perfect for you guys."

"Payment will be an experience you will remember forever? Sounds like no money," I said and Mira only smiled at me.

"Sounds interesting if you ask me," she said and I looked over at Natsu to see what he thought.

He shrugged his shoulders and grinned, "Let's do it. I want to know what the reward is."

"Great!" Mira cheered and handed us the flyer. "You should probably get going now though. The place is all the way at the edges of Fiore and Seven, at the base of the mountains. If you leave now the train will be able to take you near where Cait Shelter was but from there you will have to find other means."

"Train?" Natsu groaned and his face already looked slightly green just thinking about it.

"Yea, go on! The train leaves in less than an hour and you still need to pack! Hurry up!" Mira said, practically pushing us both out the door. Why did it feel like something was up?

"Bye guys! C-ya soon!" Mira called out as we walked along the path outside of the guild hall back towards Natsu's house. "Pack warm!"

After a few minutes and the guild was no longer in sight behind us, I turned to Natsu and asked, "Does it feel like Mira isn't telling us something?"

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

"Well, it just seemed like she was awfully eager to get rid of us."

Natsu simply shrugged and continued on. When we got back to his place we quickly packed our things and then headed out, making our way to the train station. We found an empty booth and sat down, throwing our bags in the corners of the seats.

Natsu was sitting in the opposite seat, facing me and already his face was looking sick. "We haven't even moved yet. How can you be sick?" I asked, leaning forward to look up into his face.

"Lucy," Natsu groaned and the next thing I know, the train is starting to move out of the station and Natsu falls forward, his cheeks puffed up like he was about to get sick.

I caught him just before he fell to the ground and I had to move across to the padded bench he was sitting on to push him back into his seat and before I was able to move back, he fell on top of me, his head resting in my lap. "Natsu… get up!" I said but it was no use. I've seen him get motion sickness enough times to know that at this point he was going to be utterly void of any cognitive thought.

With a deep sigh I leaned back against the seat and turned my head to look out the window. We were just leaving Magnolia and the trees were blurring by as we picked up speed. It was going to be several hours before we reached the final stop near Cait Shelter and then after that, several hours of trekking on foot to the small town where the job was supposed to be at.

I looked down at Natsu when an agonized groan slipped from his lips and I smiled when he turned his face into my stomach. His pink hair was sticking out in random spikes as usual and I had a sudden urge to run my fingers through the thick strands. Slowly I lifted my hand and just barely touched the ends of his hair, careful to not disturb him but eventually my fingers started to sift deeper into the mass, amazed by how soft it felt between my fingers.

A long, low moan escaped Natsu's mouth and I tensed before suddenly Natsu's hand shot up and he pressed my fingers against his head. "Rub… more," he mumbled against my belly and I tentatively started to lightly rub my fingers over his scalp. "Feels good."

I smiled at his words and stroked his hair, softly caressing him with one hand while the other fidgeted nervously at my side. Somehow though, Natsu didn't seem as sick as before; his face not nearly as green or distorted as it usually was when he was riding some sort of transportation and then a soft sigh escaped his lips before he snuggled against me and seemed to almost drift asleep.

"Natsu?" I said quietly, not wanting to wake him up in case he actually did fall asleep.

"Don't stop," he moaned when my fingers stilled.

I started playing with his hair again, watching his facial features ease as I asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Natsu nodded his head and moaned when I slightly increased the pressure of my fingers against his scalp and I grinned. He had no idea how cute he was. His features were always so expressive, anything he was feeling clearly written on his face and right now he looked like he was in heaven. He had his lips slightly parted as he took in slow, deep breaths and his eyes were closed, his forehead and nose pressed against my belly which thankfully was covered in a full length shirt.

Leaning my head back against the seat, I closed my eyes and let myself relax while my fingers continued to play with his hair. The gesture was even soothing to me, lulling me to sleep but every time my fingers slowed, Natsu would groan and nudge me till I started again.

The time passed easily, Natsu falling asleep at some point and me as well. When we both woke up we were approaching the last stop and Natsu grinned up at me from where he was still laying in my lap. "Wow, I made it the whole trip without getting sick," he said and I smiled back at him.

"Yea, I guess we sort of found a cure huh," I said, reluctantly removing my hand from his hair when the train came to a complete stop. We grabbed our bags and made our way out of the train. The station was quiet, only a few people walking around and we found ourselves in a small town when we exited.

"It's almost 6pm. Do you think we can make it to that town tonight?" I asked, hiking my backpack farther up my shoulder.

"I don't know but I'm hungry," Natsu complained so we decided to stop in a small restaurant nearby.

The waitress led us to a small booth and we slid in to our seats. Before she left I asked, "Do you know how far away Rosendale is?"

The lady ran a hand through her grey hair and answered, "Umm, if you're walking then it'll probably take a good 4-5 hours. Why are you going there?"

"Someone requested help with a job out there," I answered and then was interrupted by Natsu slamming his menu down on the table.

"I'll have this," he said, pointing to the 2nd page of the menu.

The waitress leaned forward to look where he was pointing and narrowed her eyes. "Which meal?"

"The whole page," he answered and the ladies eyes widened in shock.

"The whole page?"

With an embarrassed smile I cut in. "He hasn't eaten all day and he has a big appetite."

The lady simply smiled and then asked me, "Do you know what you want yet?"

I told her what I wanted and the lady left us then, disappearing behind a large black door and I leaned forward on the table, resting my head in my hands which were propped up by my elbows on the table. "I guess we should find a hotel or something here. It'll be too late if we try to walk there tonight."

"Ok," he answered. "I hope it has a pool."

"Why? Did you bring your suit?" I asked and the waitress came back with our drinks.

"Yea… didn't you?"

"Err, no," I said, taking a sip from my glass of water. The waitress left again and I continued, "But I could probably get something from Virgo if I needed to."

Several minutes later, the food came and we quickly ate, both of us hungry after not eating barely at all throughout the day. The waitress suggested a place for us to stay and we made our way there when we finished, the sky already starting to darken as the sun moved behind the huge mountains in the distance… the same mountains we were going to be walking towards the next day.

"There it is!" Natsu said, pointing down the road at a small sign dangling in front of a large brick building. We walked inside of the hotel and ordered a room then made our way up after the man at the front desk passed us a key.

"Oh, this is nice," I said as we walked inside and I threw my bag on the closest bed, claiming it for myself. The two beds were neatly made and there were even fresh flowers on the small table separating them. On the far side of the room was a large double door made of glass that looked out at the back of the hotel where the pool and (YAY) a spa were. Several people were already out there, kids running around and then jumping in the pool that was surrounded by small blue and purple lights which made it look almost magical with the way it reflected off the water.

"Let's go!" Natsu said, indicating the pool.

"Go ahead. I gotta get a suit first."

Natsu grabbed his suit from his bag and ran into the bathroom, emerging a few seconds later and running out of the room to the pool area. I reached for the keys at my hip and called for Virgo to come out which she immediately did, holding out a black bikini for me.

"You needed a bathing suit, Master?" she said in her obedient manner.

I grabbed the suit from her hands, saying thank you as I looked at the tiny pieces of fabric dangling from my fingers and then cringed. "This isn't a suit," I exclaimed in horror but before I was even able to lift my head back up to look at Virgo she disappeared. Ah crap!

The bathing suit was black except for several metal studs lining the edges. The triangles which were supposed to cover my breasts were better suited for Wendy rather than my well endowed form and the rear section looked like it might successfully cover half of my cheeks. "Virgo!" I screamed at the empty room and took a seat on the edge of the soft mattress.

Looking out the window I could see Natsu running around with the kids that I'd seen earlier and I watched him do a huge cannonball into the pool, spewing a small stream of fire before he splashed in and making the kids scream in excitement. Nearby was the spa which was empty at the moment and I decided that I could just jump in there and no one would notice that my suit was quite indecent before I was covered, for the most part, by the water.

After coming to that decision, I walked into the attached bathroom and changed into the dominatrix looking suit, assessing myself in the large mirror and cringing at the sight. As expected, my body was practically clad in nothing. If anything, the suit somehow managed to make me feel even more naked than if I wasn't wearing anything at all. I cursed Virgo one last time and grabbed the complimentary robe which was hanging off of the back of the bathroom door, shrugging it on and then stepping back out to the main room. Natsu was standing at the glass door, poking his head inside and I was thankful that I'd decided to put the robe on before I'd stepped out of the bathroom, rather than afterwards.

"Hurry up Lucy. Everyone's already left," he said and opened the door wider when I approached.

I walked through the glass doors and made my way over to the bubbling hot tub, noticing the family that had been outside before walking into their room. At least complete strangers wouldn't be seeing me in this ridiculous bathing suit. I looked around, making sure no one else was around and as soon as Natsu turned his head I threw off my robe and quickly stepped into the wonderfully hot water.

_Oh, it felt so good…_

My skin tingled from the heat and I could feel my muscles easing. I groaned as I slid further in till the water was just below my chin and then Natsu jumped ungracefully into the water, taking a seat on the opposite side of the small pool as me. My arms folded over my chest, slightly self-conscious having Natsu so close by although at the moment he didn't seem to notice anything.

"I hope Happy doesn't wonder where we are when he gets back," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the rim of the hot tub.

"Maybe he'll stay with the Exceeds for a few days and we'll be back before he gets home," Natsu said.

"Yea, maybe."

We sat there for a while, the only sound being the water gurgling from the jets. I opened and looked across the way at Natsu. He was leaning back, his arms crossed behind his head and his eyes were closed. Sweat clung to his skin, tiny beads forming and then dripping down into the water. My eyes watched one drop slide down the side of his face, over his neck and then skim along the crease between his pectorals, disappearing when it hit the surface of the water. I could imagine the path it would have taken if the water hadn't been there, the droplet continuing down the center of Natsu's torso, between the ridges of hard muscle on his stomach to his belly button.

Without realizing it I groaned and I found myself leaning forward slightly, my hands gripping the seat on either side of my legs. Man… what was with me? Even without alcohol I was thinking indecent thoughts.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts but inevitably when I opened my eyes they fell on Natsu once again. On his forehead he had several strands of hair plastered to his skin and I admired the dark lashes that framed his large eyes which were closed at the moment.

"I wonder what this job is going to be," Natsu said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yea, I'm curious too. I hope it's not something stupid like acting again."

"Maybe the reward will be a life time supply of fish! Happy would be thrilled!" Natsu said.

I huffed and narrowed my eyes. "It better not be something so stupid." I sat up and spread my arms out on either side of the tub, taping my fingers on the hard tile that surrounded the edge of the pool of water.

Natsu's eyes grew wide and suddenly I realized that my breasts were above the line of water. I quickly hunkered down, crossing my arms over my chest and bit nervously on my bottom lip.

"Uh, Virgo has weird taste," was the only explanation I mumbled as my face flamed bright red.

Across the way, Natsu slumped further into the water, his hands disappearing beneath the surface. He looked uncomfortable sitting there and I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming disappointment in his reaction. Apparently I didn't affect him the same way he affected me.

Oh well then, I guess I don't need to worry about covering myself. Who cares if I make him a little uncomfortable?

I knew my thoughts were a little bit harsh but I couldn't help it. My pride stung and I was more bothered than I thought I would be by his rejection. Maybe rejection isn't the right word considering I hadn't made an advance of any sort but I hadn't realized, until now, that I cared whether or not he found me attractive. The reality of my feelings confused me and made me wish that the object of my confusion wasn't sitting mere feet away from me.

I decided to get out of the water and go back to the room so I stepped out of the hot tub and grabbed my robe but didn't bother to put it on as I strode angrily across the space towards the room. I glanced back one last time before I practically slammed the glass doors behind me and for the briefest of seconds I saw Natsu watching me but it was so quick and he turned around so fast that I wasn't sure if I had been seeing things.

A trail of water followed me all the way to the bathroom where I threw off my suit and jumped into the shower. I turned the hot water on full blast and stood beneath the steady stream, my head leaning back as the drops cascaded down my face and along the rest of my body. It felt good to stand there like that, the water washing away my perplexing anger. I placed my hands on the smooth tile and leaned forward, letting the water slide down my back. _Yes, this felt good._

I started to wash my hair, methodically lathering it up as I let myself forgot about my crazy emotions. It was silly. I don't know why I let something like that bother me. What did I expect? Natsu was… _is,_ my best friend. Anything more would just be too complicated. I liked things the way they were and if I found myself admiring his many finer attributes then… _so be it!_ I'm a young adult; it's only natural to find someone like Natsu attractive.

By the time I left the shower and dried my hair I was feeling much better and was even humming a happy tune as I tightened the belt of my robe around my waist and walked out of the bathroom. Natsu was back, sitting on one of the large chairs on the far side of the room near the window and when I came out I could see him tense up briefly but then quickly smile and stand up.

"I'm gonna take a shower too," he said, walking across the room with a towel bunched up in his hands in front of his hips… almost like he was trying to hide something.

"Natsu? Are you ok?" I asked with concern.

The corner of his lips lifted up in a half smile and he scratched the back of his head as he answered, "Yea. I'm just tired."

The door closed behind him and I shook my head. 'What the heck was that all about?' I didn't let myself think any more about it and I took the opportunity to change into my pajamas while Natsu was still in the bathroom. I pulled out a light blue tank top and threw it on then slid on a pair of white cotton shorts with little yellow stars. Then I pulled out a little notebook and pencil from a side pocket in my bag and walked over to my bed, taking a seat on the soft mattress and arranging the pillows so that they propped me up against the headboard.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked, startling me. He was standing at the foot of my bed, a single towel knotted around his hips while he rubbed another towel over his still wet hair.

"I'm outlining a new story," I answered and struggled to not look at his half naked body.

"Can I watch?" he asked, moving around the bed to the side closest to where I was sitting.

"No!" I almost shouted as I hugged my notebook against my chest.

"Come on! Let me see!" he complained and plopped down next to me on the bed, reaching his hand out for my notebook.

"Natsu!" I whined and rolled away, turning to my side but he reached his arm around and grabbed at the small book. I struggled to keep it away, rolling across the bed till I was lying precariously close to the edge and then had to hold my arm out over the side while Natsu reached across my body to grab it. Half of his body was lying on top of mine, me on my back while he was on his stomach.

Suddenly my entire body started to pulse with excitement, a strange fluttering building in my lower belly and I gulped, looking up into Natsu's _way too close_ face. "N-Natsu," I whispered, my arm going slack and the book falling to the floor… forgotten. His eyes stared into mine, his lips slightly parted. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body which was practically naked, his towel the only thing covering him. I was frozen where I lay, unaware of anything besides Natsu's body and face.

His head moved down a fraction of an inch closer to my face and then I heard a low groan rumble up his throat and he closed his eyes briefly before looking down at me again and then rolling back across the bed and standing up. My chest heaved as I took in deep breaths, trying to control the raging feelings coursing through my body as I continued to lie in the same spot, unmoving and unbelievably frustrated.

Ahhh! I wanted to scream!

I got off the bed and bent down to pick up the fallen notebook. I didn't bother to try writing again and instead shoved the book back into my bag and returned to the bed. I crawled under the blankets, switching the light off beside my bed and curled myself into a little ball, facing away from Natsu who was lying on the bed a few feet away.

Rejected again.

**To be continued…**

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**Hi all! I hope this chapter kept you interested still. **

**In case anyone is interested, I have a Tumblr account (Nicole4211) where I post updates to stories and random images I steal from other people… since I can't draw **

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	3. Chapter 3

**I need some naughty inspiration. Anyone know of any good Natsu/ Lucy pics? The mature type…**

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**Chapter 3**

As soon as the sun peaked beneath the heavy curtains which were pulled over the wide double doors I woke up, the sound of Natsu's heavy breathing a few feet away in the other bed letting me know that he was still asleep. I eased back the blankets, sliding out of the bed and then quietly made my way across the room, grabbing a zip up sweatshirt and my notebook and then walking out the glass doors to the patio beside the pool. It felt nice out, the air slightly cool and I snuggled into my warm sweatshirt and gathered my knees up to my chest as I sat down in a wrought iron chair next to a glass topped table.

"Excuse me, miss. Would you like some tea or coffee?" a guy asked, wearing a white button up shirt and black vest with black pants. He had startlingly beautiful hair the shade of the sky on a cloudless spring day and his eyes were a deep azure with a small streak of teal at the corner of each eye.

"Oh… s-sure. Tea please," I stuttered and watched the mans lips quirk up in a half smile before he walked away towards the main lobby of the hotel. He was built like Laxus with incredibly broad shoulders and a taut, narrow waist. His stride was confident and almost cocky as he disappeared inside the building and I quickly grabbed my notebook and started scribbling away.

A minute or so later the man came back with a single cup of tea in his hand and placed it on the table beside me. I smiled up at him and thanked him, unfolding my legs and sitting up properly to take a sip.

"So, what are you in town for?" the man asked in a deep raspy voice.

I placed the cup back on the glass table and stared wide eyed at the man as he took a seat on the chair opposite of mine. _What the heck… _"My friend and I are on our way to a town called Rosendale for a job."

"So you're just passing through then?" he asked, his amazing eyes looking so directly into mine.

"Uh, yea."

"What a shame," he commented and then grinned again.

"So you work here?" I asked, picking up my cup of tea again and taking a small sip.

"For now," he said, resting his chin on his hand which was propped up by his elbow on the table. _Wasn't he supposed to be working?_

"Your friend… is it a _guy_ friend?" he asked.

"Well, yea. He's a guy but we're just friends," I answered and surprised myself by how much I wished I could have just said yes, that Natsu was my boyfriend.

"Ah, I see. You know, you are quite beautiful," he said, making my face turn crimson. I quickly took another sip of my tea and nervously set it down.

"Thank…"

"Lucy!" a loud yell interrupted me and a moment later Natsu came walking over to where we were sitting. His eyes took in the man sitting next to me, narrowing slightly before he said, "I thought you'd left without me."

I wrinkled my brow at him before I asked, "Why would I do that?"

"Well, I don't know," he answered and glanced at the man again who was standing up and moving beside me. _Shit, what was he doing?_

His long, slender fingers reached out and grabbed mine, raising them up as he bent forward and placed a soft kiss near my wrist. "It was lovely meeting you. I hope I run into you again," he said with one last grin and walked away.

My eyes followed him till he disappeared around the corner of the building and then I turned to find Natsu glaring in the same direction that I'd just been looking with his arms crossed over his chest. "I didn't want to wake you up so I came outside to do a little writing."

"Yea, writing," Natsu said, uncharacteristically sarcastic and annoyed.

_What the hell?!_

I watched him turn and stride back into our room, the door slamming closed behind him with a loud bang. What was he so mad about? All I did was go outside while he slept. Was he jealous? No way, that couldn't possibly be it. He would actually have to like me for that to be the case and he'd made it quite clear the night before that he wasn't interested. So what was it?

I shook my head and stood up, gathering my things and left the half empty cup of tea on the table. When I walked inside the room, Natsu was sitting on the end of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees while his chin rested on his hands.

"I'm gonna go change real quick. Let's check out and grab something to eat before we leave." I said, putting my notebook away and grabbing a few things from my bag. I heard Natsu grunt his 'fine' reply as I closed the bathroom door behind me and started changing. I finished quickly and threw my hair up into twin pony tails before walking back out to the main room and packing my stuff. "Are you ready?" I asked, surprised that Natsu was still sitting in the same position as before I'd gone in to change.

"Yea," he mumbled and stood up, following me out the door.

We checked out of the hotel and then decided to go to a small diner nearby that the front desk clerk had recommended. It was uncomfortably silent through most of it and when we left to start making our way to Rosendale, I'd finally had enough of his sour mood and turned to Natsu when the town behind us was no longer in sight.

"Natsu! Why are you in such a bad mood?" I asked, stopping on the dirt road with my hands on my hips, glaring at him.

"I'm not in a bad mood," he answered, not bothering to stop and just kept walking along.

I ran up the few steps to him, grabbed his wrist and tugged him back till he had to turn and face me.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking a bit startled by my action.

"Don't tell me you're not in a bad mood. You've barely said a word to me all morning and when you do it's all pissy and short. Are you mad at me about something?"

Natsu turned his face downwards and stared at the ground in front of his feet, playing with a pebble with the toe of one foot. My fingers were still locked around his wrist, holding him in place but he didn't attempt to move as we stood there, face to face.

"No. I'm not mad at you." He sighed heavily, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. "I'm sorry."

"Eh?" I hadn't expected that to come out so easily and the shock caused me to let go of his wrist and stand there staring at him. "Well… ok then. Let's go!" I said lightly, trying to brighten the mood a little and Natsu went along with it.

"Alright," he answered with a small smile and suddenly the world seemed right again. I smiled widely, happiness bubbling inside me and I couldn't help the spontaneous action that I did next.

"Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, taking a step back with one foot to brace himself as I threw my arms around his shoulders. When I leaned back to release him he was staring at me wide eyed and I just laughed and adjusted my bag on my shoulder before I started walking again and a few steps later, Natsu moved to walk next to me.

"I've never been this far from Magnolia before. Have you?" I asked, walking next to him.

"I don't think so… at least, not on foot," he answered.

"The mountains look amazing from here," I commented, looking ahead at the towering snow capped ridges reaching high into the sky. I knew from the map that the little town we were going to was just beneath them.

"Dragons could hide behind them," Natsu said, his thoughts far away as he stared ahead.

I knew what he was thinking. It was always in the back of his head; the hope that he would find his father, Igneel. "Yea, they could."

We walked in companionable silence for a while after that, our old familiarity back so the quiet felt comfortable and normal. It took a little over four hours to make the journey to the small town and unbelievably we never ran into a single soul on the way there. The place was so incredibly remote that I was surprised by how many buildings there were and how many people were walking through the cobblestone streets when we arrived.

"This place is kind of nice," I said, looking at all the little shops that lined the streets. The buildings were all painted in bright colors and nearly every shop had hanging baskets or barrels filled with beautiful flowers flowing from them. I looked at the directions Mira had given us and then glanced around the market. "I think the place should be nearby… Yea, right there," I said, pointing at one of the smaller shops on the street.

As we entered the shop we were immediately surrounded by pot after pot of different types of plants that filled the entire room. Scattered around the place on randomly positioned tables were small carved wooden figurines and I reached down and picked one up to look at it closely.

"Hey Natsu, look at this," I said, holding the small object out to him.

"What is it?" he asked, bending his head to look at the tiny sculpture.

"I'm not sure but it looks like some type of fairy or something," I answered and then nearly jumped out of my skin when a lady came out of nowhere and started speaking.

"It's a garden gnome. Haven't you ever seen a gnome before?" the lady said in a voice that was slightly high pitched but sweet.

"No ma'am," I answered and put the figurine back down on the table.

"Well what a shame. How about you young man?" the lady asked, walking up to Natsu and staring up at him. She was tiny… probably not much taller than Guild Master Makarov but she stood straight with her shoulders back and seemed to think she was every bit as tall as Natsu or I. That fact that she called him young man made me want to giggle… the woman was barely older than us.

"Nope, never seen a gnome before either," he answered.

"You should start looking then," she said and then started stroking the large leaves on a nearby plant, crooning to it like it was a baby.

I reached inside my bag and pulled out the sheet of paper with the job description on it. I took a few steps to move up next to the lady and held out the sheet. "Are you the one that posted this job?" I asked and I could feel Natsu moving to stand beside me.

The lady turned her head, her plum colored long, curly hair covering half of her face and she had to reach a tiny hand up to brush the mass away from her face. Her green eyes narrowed, eyeing the paper speculatively and then grabbed it from my hands. "I see," she said, walking with surprising stealth across the room to the back where a small wooden desk sat littered with stacks of papers and small bowls filled with herbs. "And you two are…?"

"I'm Lucy and this is Natsu," I answered.

"Let me get a closer look at you," the lady said, hopping up to stand on top of the table and scrambling to the edge closest to me.

"Uh, ok," I said, taking a step forward so that I was face to face with the lady. Her small hands lifted to my face and cupped my cheeks, her touch surprisingly gentle as she moved my head from side to side while she assessed me. Her large eyes gazed deeply into my own and I felt an odd compulsion to weep right there on the spot. There was a depth to her, a hidden cove of strange magic unlike anything I'd ever experienced before that drew out the deepest memories inside me.

"Beautiful child. Thank you," the lady said, releasing me and then motioning for Natsu to step forward which he did without hesitation.

I watched the woman mimic the actions she'd done to me on Natsu and then a few seconds later Natsu stepped back, looking equally as dazed as me.

"You're an exciting one aren't you?" she said in a teasing voice as she hopped off the table and disappeared behind a revolving door that thudded back and forth after her retreat.

"What was that?" Natsu asked quietly but before I could answer the lady poked her head around the door frame and beckoned us with a twist of her finger to come with her.

Wearily we walked through the door, Natsu behind me and we entered a surprisingly tidy room, completely opposite the chaos that littered the store front. A large, circular table dominated the space, standing smack dab in the center of the room and the far wall was covered from floor to ceiling by shelves filled with an assortment of bottles and containers. The small lady started grabbing several different things off of the shelf and piled them on the table, humming as she moved easily back and forth.

"The umm… the flyer said that you needed a fire breather. Can I ask why you needed something so specific?" I asked.

"It did, didn't it? Well then, follow me," she said and walked out another door on the far wall. We followed her this time and found ourselves outside in a small yard with a broken down old fence covered in ivy all the way around.

"Go ahead," she said, standing with her arms folded over her small chest.

"Go ahead… what?" I asked, not sure what she was meaning.

"Breathe fire."

"Huh?" Natsu grunted beside me.

"I always thought it would be really neat to see something like that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest while she waited.

Are you kidding me? We came all the way here, thinking the job had something to do with Natsu's abilities and all she wanted was to watch him breathe fire?

Natsu didn't seem to find this strange though and smiled hugely before puffing himself up and blowing a huge stream of fire into the air. Show off.

The lady started jumping up and down, clapping her hands excitedly. "That was brilliant! Do it again!"

Natsu's ego was floatin' high and after several more demonstrations and exuberant responses from the lady, I decided to sit back and enjoy the spectacle. A bit later, Natsu had finally finished his 'performance' and both myself and the lady applauded, causing Natsu to have a huge grin as he walk back to my side.

"This was the easiest job yet," he said quietly to me while the lady walked back towards the door of the shop.

"I'm not sure that's all she wanted," I said, remembering how the lady had started doing something in the back room before I'd reminded her about what the flyer had said.

"Come on kids," she said, waving for us to follow her.

"Excuse me ma'am but what's your name?" Natsu asked.

"Silly, I told you already," she answered and walked into the room where all the strange bottles and boxes were stored.

"I'm sorry ma'am but I don't think you did," I added.

"Ah well. Maybe I didn't," she giggled and started grabbing stuff again from the shelves like before.

'So… was she going to tell us?' I wondered but she never said anything and after a while I just gave up.

"You kids should go on a picnic or something," the lady suggested and I turned questioning eyes to Natsu who was looking at me with the same expression.

"Don't you need us to do something for you?" I asked.

"Oh yes, the job. This is going to take me well in to the night to get ready so you two go have some fun and you can sleep here tonight."

Ok, this lady was seriously odd.

"What's there to do?" Natsu asked.

The lady walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a large basket with a handle and then handed it to Natsu. "Go to the market and get yourselves something to eat and then go to the park outside of town. It's a lovely day and when you are done just come back here. I'll have your beds set up when you return."

"Umm, ok," Natsu said, taking the basket and then turning around to me. I shrugged my shoulders and we both left the shop.

"She's weird," Natsu said as soon as we were far enough away from the shop for her to possibly hear.

"Yea, I'll say," I answered. "I'm not so sure about this job anymore. She hasn't told us a thing about it yet."

"I hope we get to kill a monster," Natsu said with a glint in his eye.

"I doubt it. She doesn't seem the monster aggravating type."

We made our way to the market area, guided by the sounds of people talking loudly as they bartered and traded. We filled our basket quickly and then asked one of the vendors where the park was that the lady had mentioned and he pointed it out for us. It didn't take long for us to find it and I had to admit once we got there that it was quite lovely. Several magnolia trees were in full bloom and lined the narrow walkway which wound around a small pond in the center of the park. Several other families were there, children running around while their parents sat back and watched them.

Natsu and I found a nice spot on the farthest end of the pond where the sun shone fully without any shade. The air was just cool enough with the soft breeze that it felt wonderful. I lay back, enjoying the sun on my face and heard Natsu starting to dig into the food we'd purchased.

"Leave some for me," I said, not bothering to open my eyes.

Natsu grunted something in response but I didn't understand what it was and didn't bother to question him. "It's so nice out," I said, taking a deep breath of fresh air that smelled of wild flowers.

I heard him take a bite from an apple before he responded with a mouth full of food, "Mmm, yea it is."

The rest of the day went by quickly, the majority of it spent in the park either lying around or playing with a few of the kids that showed up. We made our way back in to town when the sun started to go down and stopped at a small café for dinner. By the time we were finished eating and had gone back to the small shop, it was well into the night and the sky was completely dark.

"Welcome back," the lady said as we entered and immediately scrambled over to us with two small pieces of chocolate sitting on a silver plate which she held out to us. "Here, have some chocolate. It has a special filling I think you will like."

Without hesitation Natsu grabbed one piece and popped it into his mouth, grinning as he chewed and then thanked the lady.

"Umm, ok," I said, picking up the piece and looking at it wearily before tossing it in my mouth. "Mmm… this is good," I said, the creamy sweetness enveloping my taste buds.

"I knew you would like them. It's a secret recipe I came up with a few years ago," the lady said and then turned to walk towards the back of the shop. "Now then, I need to go home but I set up two mats for you guys in the back room."

We followed her through the shop and to the back room and sure enough, two beds were rolled out on the floor with the large table that used to be in the center of the room pushed to the far side. There was barely any room for the two beds so both were lying so close to each other that they were practically on top of one another. I restrained a groan as I looked at them… _like it wasn't hard enough to not think about Natsu when we slept in separate rooms._

"Have a good night…," the lady said with a wink and disappeared through the back door.

"What was that wink for?" I asked Natsu as we both stood staring at the closed door.

Natsu shrugged and said, "I don't know. But I want more of that chocolate." He walked across the room and started opening all of the boxes that lined the shelves. His shirt rode up whenever he reached up to grab something on one of the top shelves and I could see a small bit of skin each time poking out between his shirt and pants. Mmm, forget the chocolate, I'd rather…

I shook my head and blinked my eyes to regain control of my thoughts. _Not again!_

"Nothing," Natsu groaned and turned back around, leaning his back against the shelf and crossing his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged slightly and I could see his stomach between the front flaps of his vest. My eyes traced every hard ridge, following them as far as I could before they were lost beneath the fabric of his pants.

_Oh my God, what is wrong with me?! _Obviously I wasn't drunk but for some reason I couldn't control my wayward thoughts.

I shook my head again and took a seat on one of the chairs that surrounded the table. "What should we do?" I asked, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt to distract myself.

"Eh?" Natsu said and I turned to look at him.

"I asked, what should we do?"

"Oh," Natsu said, looking distracted. "I don't know."

"I'm gonna go change into my bed clothes. I'll be right back," I said, getting up from the chair and grabbing my stuff out of my bag. I headed into the only door we hadn't gone through yet and luckily it was a bathroom like I'd hoped. It was tiny though with only a toilet and sink but it was impeccably clean and I quickly changed out of my clothes and pulled on the same pair of pajamas I'd worn the night before. I grabbed my stuff and exited the room, re-entering the room that Natsu was in and he was standing in the same spot as before but this time his hands were in his pockets.

Gosh he looked so good. I wanted to walk straight across the room, grab the front of his shirt and pull him towards me, sealing my mouth over his while our bodies pressed tightly together. I could just imagine how it would feel; his lips would be devastatingly hot and demanding, slanting over my own as his tongue…

"Ngh," I groaned and then slapped my hand over my mouth. _ Did I just do that out loud? _How the heck was I going to sleep next to him like this?

I busied myself putting my clothes back in my bag, bending over and then turning my head to the side to look behind me when I heard Natsu suck in a quick breath like someone had just punched him in the gut.. "Are you ok?" I asked, still bent over my bag.

Natsu straightened up and grabbed his bag from the floor before practically sprinting into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. _What the heck…_

I finished putting my stuff away and then reached into one of the side pockets. "Yes! I did pack them!" I said excitedly as I pulled out the pack of playing cards we'd used the other night. Taking a seat on one of the rolled out beds, I started shuffling the deck and waited until Natsu came out of the bathroom. My back was towards the door so when he did come outside I couldn't see him but I called out when I heard it open, "I brought some cards. Wanna play rummy again?" I asked and then nearly gasped when he took a seat on the bed in front of me and faced me. He'd taken his clothes off and changed into just a pair of forest green shorts which reached to just above his knee. His torso was completely bare and I simply sat there and stared at him.

_Oh what it would be like to reach my hands out and touch that skin. _

My fingers tingled and warmth was building low in my belly, making me wiggle uncomfortably where I sat.

"Alright, let's play," Natsu said and I cleared my throat and began dealing out the cards. Twice I had to mentally slap myself when my gaze strayed to his stomach and lingered too long in just the short span of time it took me to pass out seven cards to each of us. When I finished and picked up my cards I made myself concentrate hard on them… anything to keep myself from looking back at Natsu across the way but for some reason it was agonizing to resist. I fought the urge as long as I could but when it was my turn to go and I reached forward for my card my eyes fell on his legs which were crossed beneath him and I suddenly realized how sexy they were. I'd never thought men's legs were particularly attractive but yes, there was definitely something yummy about them. A muscle bulged just above his bent knee and his calves were tight and well formed.

_Crap, it's my turn again._

I grabbed a card and quickly took my turn, realizing too late that I had a run of three still held in my hand. I watched a strand of pink hair fall over Natsu's forehead as he reached forward towards the deck and I struggled with the urge to brush it back, bending the cards in my hand till they were misshapen and bent. _Ah, screw it._ I leaned forward, bracing my weight with one hand on the floor while the other reached up and gently stroked the strand away from his face, only to have it fall forward again. I giggled and tried again, this time sifting my fingers through his hair and brushing it all back.

His eyes were wide with shock when I sat back down and I felt a heated blush flood my face. "Sorry," I said simply and then watched Natsu take his turn. I took a deep breath, trying fruitlessly to get control of myself and when I looked up, Natsu's eyes were staring at something on my shirt. I looked down, worried that there was a stain there or even worse (and more probable) a puddle of drool making a wet spot on the fabric but there was nothing there. I turned my eyes back up and Natsu was again looking at his cards, a pink blush staining his cheeks.

_No way! Did I just catch him looking at my breasts?_

I smiled to myself, covering my mouth with my cards as he finished his turn and then leaned forward to grab my next card. As I did, I lingered longer than I normally would, giving him a nice view of my cleavage and was thrilled when I looked up and Natsu was once again staring at my chest. Every nerve in my body started to tingle and a gentle throbbing began coursing through my veins.

I wanted to jump across the short space between us and pin him to the ground, trail kisses down his yummy neck and then all over his body. I pictured him panting beneath me, his hands reaching up and caressing my skin, sliding under my clothes and squeezing my breasts. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath; a pulsing ache growing between my thighs and when I opened them up again Natsu was finishing his turn and throwing down his last card to win the game.

Crap!

"I win! What do I get?" he said and I smiled as I looked over at him.

"We're not playing for anything this time," I answered and chuckled when he groaned.

"That's no fun," he said and leaned back on his outstretched arms, his chest completely exposed for my thirsty eyes. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this torture for. My body felt like it was straining for his, like every cell was crying out to be pressed against his hard body.

"I need some water," I said, licking my suddenly dry lips and standing up. I found a glass cup on a nearby shelf and then walked into the bathroom, cleaned it out and then filled it up. When I sat down again in front of Natsu I tipped the glass back and chugged nearly half of the contents. Mmm… that felt good.

"Can I have some?" Natsu asked, reaching a hand out towards me.

"Sure," I answered and handed it to him. He pressed the rim of the glass against his lips and tilted his head back, his adams apple bobbing as he gulped the rest of it down. I wanted to nibble on that neck and glide my tongue along his jaw all the way to his ear.

"Thanks," he said and handed the glass back to me.

"Gee, thanks," I said, frowning at the empty glass and standing up to place it back on the shelf.

When I sat down, Natsu had already dealt out a new hand and we started playing again, my thoughts as distracted as they'd been before... if not worse. When we finished I knew it was getting late and to be quite honest, I simply didn't think I could stand another round of staring at the body in front of me without doing something I might regret later so I told him I was done and ready to go to sleep.

"Oh ok," Natsu said, a strange tone to his voice. He got up from the ground and put the cards away in my bag then walked over to the wall where the light switch was. "Are you ready?" he asked, watching me slide beneath the covers of my makeshift bed.

"Yea, I'm ready," I said and the next instant the room was cast in darkness. The only light left was from the moon shining through the single window and it wasn't enough to even enable me to see Natsu who was only a few yards away.

"Wow, I can't see anything," he said and I could hear his footsteps coming towards me, looking for his own bed.

"Ouch!" he cried out then something rattled dangerously nearby.

"Are you ok?" I asked and then suddenly Natsu stumbled over my legs and tripped, falling to the ground beside me. "Natsu!"

He groaned and I heard him pushing the covers back on his bed. "I'm alright," he finally answered and then his elbow hit my side as he adjusted his body in the bed. "Sorry," he said and I couldn't help but laugh.

I laid back and then moved on to my side, facing my back towards Natsu and could hear him still shifting around in his own bed. He was agonizingly close and every fiber of my body was crying out for him, knowing that if I only wiggled back two or three feet I'd be against him. Instead though, I closed my eyes and tried to relax, concentrating on my breathing while Natsu finally settled down behind me.

"Lucy?" Natsu said, startling me.

"Yea?" I answered.

"I miss my bed," he said and I laughed.

"I miss mine too. This floor isn't exactly comfortable."

I relaxed again and lay out on my back. When I turned my head I could just barely make out the outline of Natsu's face a few feet away. He was lying on his back, his face tilted slightly towards mine and I could hear his deep and steady breaths while I watched his chest move up and down slowly. It was so tempting to reach my hand out and touch him… it would be so easy. My fingers could inch up his arm and then over his chest to flatten over hard muscle.

_Ugh… just shoot me now._

Unbelievably I did end up falling asleep but not before my imagination had a field day with fantasies between Natsu and myself. It wasn't until some time in the middle of the night that I woke up, my senses highly alert and my body in a very peculiar position.

To be continued…

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**Anyone guess who the blue haired guy was in the beginning? I purposely left his name out to see if anyone would make the connection. **

**Sorry for the long chapter. I hope it was enjoyable. As always, comments and criticism welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Ugh! Why was I being tortured like this? My body was aching it was wound up so tightly, desire coursing thick and hot through my veins. I wanted desperately to reach out and pull Lucy against me, ease some of the torment that my body was going through. The temptation was overwhelming, consuming nearly every ounce of resistance I had inside me. She was so close, her luscious figure lying only a few feet away and I could hear her light breathing while she drifted to sleep. _

_The past few days had been agonizing… but what a sweet agony it was. _

_I thought back to the first night Lucy had stayed over. She'd been so adorable, stumbling around my house with a bright blush staining her cheeks from the alcohol. Several times I'd wanted to reach out for her but luckily I'd been strong enough to hold back from that embarrassment. It had been close though, especially when she'd tumbled off of the couch and banged her head. My hands had begged to roam over her body, teased by the small bit of contact I'd been allowed while I'd looked at her head. I hadn't wanted to leave her that night but if I had stayed another second I probably would have tackled her on to the couch and ravaged her._

_Then, of course, the next day had been filled with incidents that had made lust simmer within me. The accidental intimate position our bodies had wound up in when I'd tried to wake her up on my couch, the wonderful feel of her fingers gliding over my scalp, the jaw dropping bathing suit she'd worn in the hot tub and then… the height of it all, the moment when my face had been just mere inches from hers and I'd wanted so badly to kiss her after I'd tried to steal her notebook. I'd almost deluded myself at that moment, letting myself think for just a second that she might actually be interested in me by the way she'd looked up at me but when I'd dipped my head just a fraction of an inch, I'd felt her body shudder and immediately I backed away, afraid I was upsetting her. _

_When I had woken the next morning and found her missing from the room I'd panicked, thinking that maybe I really _had_ upset her the night before. I'd searched everywhere, my stomach knotting at the prospect of losing my best friend. That's when I'd found her, talking to that blue haired man who'd looked like he had wanted to devour her where she sat. Rage had bubbled inside me and a strange feeling had crept into my bones, making me almost shake with an unknown emotion while I watched the man press his lips to Lucy's hand. I'd wanted to rip his head off and incinerate it. Never in my life had I felt such overwhelming jealousy… yes jealousy. I'd figured it out later that that was what it was but I hadn't wanted to admit it at the time. _

_Any animosity I had felt quickly disappeared though the instant Lucy's arms had surrounded me, pulling me against her when we'd first started our trek to Rosendale after she'd yelled at me for being in a foul mood. It had felt so wonderful, the action soothing my crazy emotions. I could have stayed that way forever._

_Now I lay here, my body once again pulsing with need. I'd tried to stay away from her when I'd felt the urges building again, coming on even stronger than usual after returning to the small shop that we were now lying in. I'd positioned myself on the opposite side of the room, keeping myself at a safe distance but Lucy had been so tempting and when she'd walked out of the bathroom wearing her skimpy night clothes and then bent over to put her stuff away I'd snapped… a certain part of my anatomy stirring quickly to life at the sight of her rounded derriere on display in front of my eyes. I'd gotten into the bathroom just in time to conceal the massive hard-on growing beneath the fabric of my pants and it had taken several minutes of deep breathing and forced images of Happy (the most un-sexual thing I could think of) to alleviate the strain before I could change into my shorts and walk back out. _

_The rest of the night had gone by pretty much the same way, me fighting the near constant urge to stare at her gorgeous face or gaze overlong at her large perky breasts. _

_I looked over at her now sleeping form. She'd rolled over a few minutes ago and was now lying on her side facing me. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness in the room and I could see her features much clearer now. Several strands of her blonde hair had fallen over her face and I wanted to brush it back the way she'd brushed mine back a little while ago. Slowly I reached out, flexing my fingers as I got near her and then gently touched her face, pushing the fallen hair away and then trailing my fingers over her soft cheek. God, she was so beautiful. _

_I wanted to continue the path of my hand, trace the edge of her jaw and then skim over the column of her neck. I could imagine my hand moving south, caressing her soft skin and then cupping a large soft breast. _Mmm… _My member, which seemed to be in a perpetual semi-hard state, twitched lustfully and hardened even more. I reached a hand down and slid my fingers beneath the fabric of my shorts, palming my thick erection and them wrapping my fingers around the rock hard length. I want to groan but resisted, petrified that the sound would wake her up. _

'What the hell am I doing?' _I screamed at myself, snatching my hand out of my drawers like it had just been burned. Lucy was literally three feet away. How could I even think of touching myself like that with her so close? But the ache was still there and I couldn't keep still, my body shifting uncomfortably from position to position till finally I couldn't take it any longer and reached down my body to cup the bulge between my legs. _Fuck, I wanted her so badly._ I pushed the waist band of my shorts down and freed my weeping length, careful that the blanket cover was still concealing my hand and then started to stroke myself with long, slow movements. _

_I must be out of my mind to be doing this. If she woke up… my body shuddered, my dick growing harder in my hand. My pace increased, my hips flexing slightly with every pump of my fist. I turned my head to the side and let my eyes rest on Lucy's thinly clad breasts. A shallow moan slipped up my throat and I quickened my pace yet again. My blood was pumping so fast in my veins and I could hear my heart pounding inside my ears. My chest was literally heaving as I struggled to hold back my raspy breaths, my hand fucking my dick and then Lucy sighed heavily in her sleep, the sound so erotic it made my gut clench and my balls tighten. _

"Shit!" _ I breathed and then bucked my hips up, shoving my cock into my fist. My gaze wandered down her body, imagining the blanket being missing. I could picture myself pushing her over on to her back, settling my body between her lusciously thick thighs and guiding my arousal to her… _Oh God, fuck! _I quickly covered the tip of my cock with my other hand and spurted hot semen into my palm, my hips thrusting forward as if burying themselves within Lucy's body. _

_Lucy was still lying beside me, her breath going in and out evenly like she was still deep asleep. I released a sigh of relief, my heart still beating in my ears. _

_Now, about my hand…_

_I quietly threw back the covers of my bed and walked around Lucy's sleeping form to the nearby bathroom, closing the door behind me and then turning on the light. I washed my hands and then threw some cool water on my face and neck, still letting my body unwind from my exertions and then made my way back out to my bed and laid back down. _

_I would have thought it would be easier to fall asleep now, having 'relieved' myself but unfortunately that wasn't the case. My hard-on never really went away, only tamed down a bit so it wasn't quite as uncomfortable but I did eventually fall asleep, waking up a bit later in the night with something warm and incredibly soft in my hand…_

To be continued

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**I hope you liked Natsu's POV!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I awoke to the sound of a long, drawn out moan… realizing a moment later that it had come from my own throat. I opened my eyes, immediately confronted by Natsu's face only inches from my own. His eyes were closed and he was sleeping on his side, his right arm stretched out in front of him.

Suddenly I became aware of something warm beneath the palm of my hand and I flexed my fingers. _What the…_ My hand was squeezing my own breast and something rested between my hand and my chest. I let my fingers drift over whatever it was and I gulped, my eyes shooting wide open. _Oh my God, what have I done?!_

My body tensed but then Natsu's fingers moved subtly, caressing my breast and I barely stifled a groan, biting down on my free hand while my other hand still lay over his. I knew what I should be doing… I should be grabbing his hand and removing it from myself but _I didn't._ Instead, my back arched slightly, pushing myself more firmly into his grasp. The only thing between his hand and my skin was a thin tank top which only served to cover barely more than half of my large mound so the tips of his fingers rested over flesh while his thumb circled the underside, cupping it fully.

I turned my head to the side to look at Natsu and I could swear his mouth was turned up in a slight grin. His hand moved again, this time squeezing and then the pad of his thumb brushed over my nipple, sparks streaking through my body to pool between my thighs. _Fuck! I wanted him. _ Even in my sleep it seemed I wanted him. How I had managed to grab his hand and place it on my chest _in my sleep_ was simply unbelievable.

A soft moan beside me made me suck in a quick breath and I looked over at Natsu, his face still less than a foot from mine. _Ugh! He was so cute!_ Several strands of pink hair fell over his forehead and his lips were parted slightly. The urge to lean over and press my lips against his was nearly overwhelming, my body practically in pain trying to resist. I licked my own lips, my tongue gliding over my lower lip longer than needed and then I bit down on it, wishing it was his that I was nibbling on.

His hand started to move again, this time more boldly caressing my breast. His fingers squeezed and then lifted, rubbing up and down and I couldn't believe he was doing this in his sleep. I lifted my hand from his, carefully moving it to my side which was closest to his body. _Did I dare?_ I bit my lip again, sighing when his fingers brushed over my nipple again and then my hand made my decision for me since my brain couldn't seem to form a coherent thought.

Slowly I inched across the small space between our bodies, my fingers skimming over the blankets till I was a hairs breath away from the top edge of the fabric. I curled my fingers over the edge and tugged, pushing it down till I uncovered his body all the way to his stomach. Even in the semi-dark room I could see the outlines of hard muscle, the sight making blood rush behind my eyes. I took a deep breath, my heart pounding inside my chest and my throat constricting with nerves. I closed my eyes tightly shut and then, with a spurt of boldness, I stroked my fingers over his smooth flesh. _Wahhh! It felt so good!_ Lust pounded through my veins, every fiber of my being pulsing with energy. I gulped, flattening my palm over his hard stomach.

My attention was diverted when suddenly Natsu's hand, which was holding my breast, started to move and glide over to my other breast. The tip of one finger flicked over my nipple along its path and I gasped out loud, my fingers reacting and digging into his muscular abs.

_Could he really be sleeping?_

He started massaging my breast while at the same time I caressed his stomach. My face was still turned towards his, my breath starting to come out raspy and uneven. I looked at his lips, licking my own. _Can I do this?_ I strained to get closer, inching my body towards his as I slowly squirmed over the ground. I was less than six inches away now, so close that I could see his thick eyelashes. I squirmed once more, bringing me even closer and my shoulder brushed against his chest. His hand had followed me, still cupping my breast but his fingers had stilled for the moment.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat, petrified of what I was about to do. What if he woke up and freaked out? What if he hated me afterwards and didn't want to speak to me? Doubt started to filter into my mind, making my entire body quake with nervousness. In all the time I'd known him he'd never shown any interest in me. Why would I think it would change now? The embarrassment I would have to face if he refused me would be unbearable. I couldn't imagine walking into the Fairy Tail guild hall, day after day, if he did refuse me.

My fingers slid off his stomach, falling to the blanket between us and then I stared up at the shadowed ceiling. His fingers hadn't moved since I'd inched my way closer to him. Slowly I turned my head to look at him again. His eyes were still closed, air passing steadily through his perfect lips. The desire to kiss him was still there; making my body pulse with longing but another emotion was there too, like a bucket of cold water slowly dripping over my lust. Natsu was my best friend. I couldn't… wouldn't do anything to damage that relationship.

* * *

_My fingers flexed, cupping the incredible softness more firmly into the palm of my hand. I don't know how it happened nor why it had happened… quite frankly I couldn't care less about the events that led up to my hand squeezing her breast and Lucy's hand caressing my stomach. All I cared about was that it was happening. _

_Her body was so close to mine, so close that all I had to do was lean forward a few inches and I could kiss her. I wanted to… I wanted to roll my body over hers, look down into her beautiful face and lower my head till my lips were pressed against hers. Mmm, she would be so sweet. I could just imagine how it would feel, her soft lips yielding to mine, her tongue lightly gliding over my own. _

_My gut twisted, blood pumping rapidly through my veins. I was already painfully hard inside my shorts and I gritted my teeth as I struggled against the boiling need inside me that told me to pounce on her. _

_Calm down Natsu… calm down. She was asleep. She had no idea what was going on. _

_Her fingers were unmoving on my stomach, her body still. I tried to control the lust pounding through me, slowing my breathing but I was sure that if she woke up she'd be able to hear my heart beating, it was so loud._

_I waited, unmoving. What would happen if she woke up? Would she think I did this on purpose? Fuck! She would think I was a huge pervert. But if I moved, she might wake up. Maybe I should just kiss her and get this over with. But could I deal with the consequences if she didn't want it? _

_I wanted to scream in frustration. I was going to drive myself insane. _

_Her hand fell from my stomach, suddenly making me feel exposed for some odd reason. The urge to grab her hand and press it back against my skin was strong but I resisted, not wanting to wake her._

* * *

'Lucy… what are you doing?' I screamed inside my head, scrunching my eyes tightly shut as I struggled within myself. My desire for him was so overwhelming that I felt tears pooling behind my eyes, stinging as I resisted the mounting urges within me. I'd never experienced anything like this before. No one had ever told me that desiring someone could be so painful.

I looked at his mouth one last time, wishing more than anything that I could press mine to it but I closed my eyes again and sighed… regretfully rolling over and away from Natsu, his arm falling off of me and my back now turned towards him. As much as I hated doing it, I simply couldn't handle the thought of his rejection and for the rest of the night I slept fitfully, barely getting any more rest and I was awake while the sun started to stream through the single window in the room.

A knock on the door startled me and made me quickly sit up from my bed.

"Yea?" I said, pulling the blankets up to my chest.

"Come out when you're dressed. Everything's ready," the shop owners' voice rang out through the door and I heard Natsu groan next to me.

"O-Ok," I said and turned back to look at Natsu. His hands were fisted as he rubbed his eyes and then when they lifted from his face he looked at me and smiled slowly.

"Goo… good morning," I said, coughing and clearing my throat. Why did he have to be so adorable? It wasn't right to look so good rolling out of bed.

"Mornin'," he replied and stretched his arms behind his head then crossed them beneath… still grinning. What the heck was he so happy about? It was almost like he knew some tantalizing secret which was making him grin like the very devil was inside him.

"The lady is ready for us already. We have to get dressed," I said, a bit grouchily from lack of sleep.

"Alright," he said and stood up. Immediately my eyes went to his unclad chest and stomach, staring at the ridges that I had been able to touch just a few hours ago. My fingers tingled at the sight, my stomach tightening while I tried, pathetically, to pretend I wasn't looking at him while he scratched his hand over his belly and then lower, the tips of his fingers sliding just barely beneath the waist band of his shorts and revealed a bit more flesh. Oh my God he looked so yummy! Did the man not know how sexy that was!?

I watched him walk around me and reach for his bag. "Do you want the bathroom first?" he asked, standing directly in front of me where I kneeled on my bed still, giving me a heck of a view of his chiseled abs.

"Ah, you go ahead," I answered and watched him disappear behind the door a moment later. When he returned he was fully dressed which of course still left his torso only semi-covered… stupid vest shirt.

"I'll be right back," I said and snatched my bag off the ground and went inside the bathroom. I stared at myself in the small mirror, noting the bags beneath my eyes from lack of sleep. Gosh, I wish I could have a shower. I changed quickly, throwing on a white tank top and pink jean shorts then pulled my hair into a side ponytail, tying a pink ribbon around it. When I walked out of the bathroom, Natsu was busy rolling up my bed, his own already rolled up and sitting in the corner.

"Oh, thanks!" I said and watched him pick it up and then place it next to his.

"Sure. Are you ready?" he asked, slinging his bag over his right shoulder.

"Yea, I guess," I answered and followed him into the front of the shop. The lady was there, bent over a large leafy plant with a small pair of scissors and tweezers.

"Uh, hello," I said, afraid to startle her.

"Yes yes. You see that bag on the counter?" she asked, never lifting her gaze from the plant.

"Yea," Natsu answered.

"That's yours. Everything you will need is in there," she said and stood up, tucking her scissors and tweezers into a pocket in her thin jacket.

Natsu grabbed the bag and glanced over at me, his look as suspicious as mine.

"Here you go," the lady said, handing each of us a small glass filled with a strange milky liquid. "Drink those and I'll see you in a few days."

What?! What is she talking about? "Um, excuse me?" I said, holding the glass in my hand and staring at it like it was about to bite me.

"Drink it hon. Your job starts now."

"But, what is the job?" I asked, completely confused.

"You'll see as soon as you drink that," was her only answer and I turned to stare at Natsu. "Oh for goodness sake. It's not going to kill you. Mirajane would have my head if I let anything happen to you."

Mira? What did she have to do with this and how did she know her?

"You know Mira?" Natsu asked.

"Yes of course. Now go you two. I don't have time to waste."

I watched Natsu shrug his shoulders and tip the glass back, still holding the large bag the lady had given to us. He drank the entire contents and then placed the glass on the table, cringing slightly as he swallowed the last gulp. I eyed mine wearily for a few more seconds then did the same, swallowing the slightly biting liquid and then dropping the glass next to his. A strange tingling sensation instantly swept through my body from my fingers all the way to my toes and when I turned my head up to look at Natsu, he was gone… he'd completely vanished.

"Natsu!" I screamed and then suddenly the world blacked out in front of my eyes, almost like I'd passed out and I reached my hands out, trying to grasp anything I could through the darkness. Panic overwhelmed me, my heart beating frantically as I continued to come up empty with my reaching hands till suddenly I caught a hold of something. It was warm and hard and I clutched it with both hands while I was still lost in complete and utter blackness.

"Lucy!"

I could hear Natsu's voice, he was right next to me and I realized that it was his arm that I was clutching. His voice immediately soothed me but fear still constricted my voice as I said, "Natsu!" so that it came out like a squeak.

"Lucy. What's happening?" he asked and I could feel him pull my body against his, wrapping his arms tightly around my back.

"I don't know," I said, burying my face in his chest.

Suddenly after a jolt, light started to filter back into my eyes and I could slowly make out Natsu's shoulder in front of me and then I turned slightly in his arms to look around us. Snow covered nearly everything in sight and I was instantly aware of a biting chill in the air as wind swept harshly across my body. I pressed closer to Natsu, wanting the heat from his body and shivered violently when another gust of wind whipped around us, blowing my hair every which way.

"Where are we?" he asked, tightening his hold on me.

I lifted my face from his chest and looked around again. We were standing on a thin ledge of an icy cliff which rose high above us and, turning my face down to look, quite far below. There was a wall of ice to my left and I angled myself closer to it, not wanting to be anywhere near the edge and then Natsu released his hold on me and turned around. I grabbed the bag on his back which the lady had given us and started digging around, hoping to find something warm and nearly screamed with happiness when I found a thick fur lined jacket tucked inside.

"We gotta get out of here," he hollered over his shoulder, needing to shout so that I could hear him through the blustery wind. I pulled on the thick jacket and started digging through the bag again, finding a matching pair of pants to the jacket and tugged them on quickly.

"Are you cold?" I asked, almost shouting next to his ear.

He shook his head and turned to face me. "I think I see something ahead."

"Ok," I said and started to follow him after he turned back around and began walking along the snowy path. I had one hand gripping the back of his bag and the other clutching the top of my jacket beneath my neck, trying to keep the cold air out. Snow started to fall from the sky, rapidly turning into blizzard like conditions and blurred our vision. I could barely even see a foot beyond Natsu's form, the snow coming down so thickly and I pressed as close to Natsu as the bag on his back allowed.

I debated grabbing my keys and calling out Horologium but one look at my feet made me decide against it. There was no way he'd fit on the ledge. As it was, I was having a difficult time keeping myself from slipping off the side.

Slowly we turned a sharp corner and I looked out into the open space, squinting through the snow but couldn't make out anything in the distance.

"Lucy! Look!" Natsu said, pointing at something in front of him and I peaked around his shoulder to see what he was pointing at. Just barely I could see a darkened spot against the cliff wall but I couldn't tell what it was.

"What is it?" I asked but he must not have heard me because he started walking forward again and I quickly followed behind.

After maybe 25 feet, Natsu turned around grabbed my shoulders, guiding me into what seemed to be a small hole in the side of the mountain. I ducked my head and walked inside the alcove, amazed by the sudden change in atmosphere. The small space completely sheltered us from the battling winds and snow and it was a huge relief, giving me a moment to take in everything that had happened in such a short space of time.

I took a seat, resting against the back of the cave and Natsu sat down next to me, sliding his bags off of his shoulder and setting them down in front of us. I put mine down as well, throwing it on top of his so that I could lean against the hard rock. "What the heck just happened?" I said, rubbing my hands over my nearly purple feet to try and warm them up.

"I don't know. It's like we're in another world," he said and I looked over at him and noticed ice freezing on the tips of his hair. I reached my hands out and started ruffling his hair, shaking off the snow and ice and smiling as he grinned up at me.

"I think there was other stuff in the bag she gave us," I said and then watched Natsu grab the bag and start sifting through it.

"What's this?" he said, pulling out a thin book and handing it to me.

I opened it and glanced at the first few pages. "It's instructions," I said, reading through the first page. "It says… follow the high path through the howling mountains to the village of Kern." I turned my head to look at Natsu and said, "I wonder if that's where we are?"

"It sounds like it doesn't it," he said and I nodded my head and continued reading.

"Once in Kern, seek the sleeping stone."

"Sleeping stone?" Natsu said, wrinkling his brow. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," I answered and closed the book, shoving it back inside the bag. Although there was almost no wind inside the small alcove, it was still freezing and the tips of my fingers started to turn purple as well as my exposed toes. I rummaged through my own bag and pulled out my boots, suddenly extremely thankful that I had packed them.

As I laced them up, Natsu sat back against the rock wall and closed his eyes, leaning his head back and I could see the muscles of his neck stretching enticingly. _Oh no, not again!_ Couldn't I make it at least 30 minutes without thinking sexual thoughts about him? Apparently not because my eyes traveled down the length of his throat to his collarbone, wishing that I could nibble my way around it. I sighed and shook my head.

"What did you see before the snow started to fall?" I asked, leaning back beside him.

"I think I might have seen the village the book mentioned. It was hard to tell though because it was really far in the distance."

I groaned and then shivered as a strong breeze somehow found its way inside the cave.

"Do you think we should wait until the snow stops before we start again?" Natsu asked.

I looked outside the small entrance and shook my head. "I don't think it's going to stop any time soon and I don't want to be stuck up here when night comes," but then I shivered again as I thought about going back out into that.

"I'm hungry," Natsu complained.

"You're always hungry," I said and stood up. "I guess we better get going. I don't think there's any food in that bag either."

Natsu stood up as well and hefted both his bag as well as the bag given to us by the lady up on to his shoulder. I grabbed mine and followed him out of the cave, keeping as close to him as I could and leaving one hand on his bag the entire way, afraid that I would lose him in the storm.

After what seemed like hours though it most likely wasn't, Natsu paused and turned to me. "I think we're almost off the mountain," he said, moving to the side so that I could look ahead of us. Far in the distance I could see the path start to wind down, trailing towards the ground beneath the rocky cliff.

I followed him closely; careful to step in the marks he created in the snow while I concentrated on my feet. Several minutes later the path started to descend, angling downwards which at first made it even more difficult to walk on, slipping through the slick icy snow. I looked ahead to see how much farther we had to go and suddenly my foot skidded off the side of the path and I grabbed out for anything I could reach, grasping Natsu by the waist as my foot slid off the edge.

"Natsu!" I screamed and then felt his strong arms grabbing a hold of mine and pulling me up, once again steadying me on my feet. "Thanks," I said, my heart pounding loudly.

"Here, hold on to me," he said, reaching behind himself to grasp my hand. It was _so_ warm and it felt _so_ good to hold on to.

Steadily the path got easier to walk on and soon the storm slowed down till it was completely behind us, the snow melting before it reached this far down from the mountain. The path widened as well and I was able to move up and walk along side of Natsu. His hand was still holding mine and I sure as heck wasn't about to relinquish it just yet as we continued to walk.

"Well that was fun," I commented sarcastically. "What time do you think it is?"

"I don't know but I can smell that village ahead. I don't think we're too far away."

I looked ahead of us but all I could see were tree's covered with a light dusting of snow. A large field was spread out before us with just a thin layer of snow covering the grass and we trudged our way through, stopping when we came to a narrow stream and then carefully navigated across by hopping from stone to stone.

"What's that?" Natsu said, pointing upstream with his free hand while the other still had a hold of mine… YAY!

I turned my head in the direction he was pointing and could barely make out what looked like a thin stream of smoke rising up to the sky. "Maybe it's the village," I suggested and Natsu nodded his head and we both turned and started walking towards the area where the smoke was coming from. After a ways, we were able to make out what looked like the tops of many buildings and we started to pick up our pace… both of us feeling pangs of hunger.

The closer we got, the more uneasy I felt about the place. Surrounding the small village was a huge wooden fence made up of tall logs standing vertically that reached at least 20 feet high and the little bit that I could see inside seemed run down and in disrepair. When we reached the front gate we were immediately confronted by two guards wearing patched leather clothing and belts with axes hanging from them who glared at us with barely concealed dislike.

"What is your business here?" the one man said with long red hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in ages. He had a long beard as well of the same color and upon closer inspection I could see crumbs of food lodged inside… gross.

"We're here to see the sleeping stone," I answered, hoping that these men had some idea what I was talking about since I certainly had no clue.

"Plenty of stones outside of town… go look at them," the man said with an arrogant chuckle and turned to the man who stood beside him who also laughed at his remark.

The other man turned his eyes to us and immediately I felt a horrible shiver run through my body. His eyes were a shade of red almost like blood and they were small and narrow as they looked us up and down. He was tall, at least a foot taller than me and he had a belly which stuck out like he was carrying a bowling ball inside. Besides that though, his limbs were thin which looked odd with such a huge stomach and he had dirt caked on almost every inch of him. "This one can come in though," he said, pointing a gnarly finger towards me and grinning, revealing yellow stained teeth… several of which were missing.

"She looks feisty," the red haired man said, causing them both to laugh again. "And she has big tits."

I glared at both men and then my hand was nearly crushed within Natsu's grasp. Fire burned within his pupils and I quickly stepped in front of him, creating a barrier between him and the guards.

"Please let us inside," I said, trying to keep calm and I could feel Natsu's stiff body against my back.

"Sure. But we need payment… and we do not accept coins," the darker haired man said, stepping close to me. I watched him reach his hand out and before I could back away Natsu shoved me aside, releasing my hand and grabbed the mans, twisting it to the side and nearly snapping it in half.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," Natsu said in a voice I'd never heard before. It was eerily quiet and menacing, matching the look in his eyes. The man in front of him cried out in pain and then stumbled back when Natsu released him.

The red haired man stepped in between them and pulled his arm back, fisting his hand and then suddenly a boy, barely older than Romeo, stepped in the way with his hands on his hips, glaring at the bigger man.

"Let them inside," the boy said. He had bright green hair the color of newly grown grass and his eyes were an incredible shade of gold.

Immediately the two men's demeanors completely changed, stuttering as they quickly apologized. "We… we didn't know Master. Right away, please… come in."

The large wooden gate was pulled open and Natsu and I followed the young man inside, walking over a dirt covered street.

"Thank you," I said, walking up beside the boy and extending my hand. "My name is Lucy and this is Natsu."

"I'm Dusty. You guys don't look like you are from around here," he said, his voice surprisingly deep for someone his age.

"We aren't actually," I answered. "We're here to uh," gosh this sounds so stupid, "find the sleeping stone. Do you have any idea what that is?"

He stops walking and turns to us. "Never heard of it but I might know someone who will."

I turn to Natsu and smile… at least we were getting somewhere.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Sorry about the slow update. I nearly had this chapter done **_**days**_** ago but a few things came up in my personal life and I wasn't able to spend any time writing. Unfortunately those things haven't gone away but hopefully I'll get a decent amount of writing in. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Natsu… what are you doing?!" I yelled quietly as I watched him pick up a strange looking object off a nearby table and start turning it around in his hands, his face moving from this side to that while he analyzed it.

"What is it?" he asked, still eyeing the object quizzically.

"How should I know?" I said, stepping forward and grabbing the thing from his hands then placing it back on the side table. "You're going to get us in trouble." We were standing in a small room just inside the front entrance to the largest building in town which wasn't saying much since most places were no bigger than a small cabin. This place however was a bit larger, nearly the size of the Fairy Tail guild hall and it was also quite clean… in direct contrast with the environment outside which had muddy roads and poorly kept front porches.

Dustin, the boy who had stepped in to help us when we'd been trying to get into the village, had taken us to see the person whom he'd thought would be able to help us but apparently the old woman had been unavailable and we were told to come back tomorrow… rather rudely if I might add. The ladies niece, who was pretty old herself, had been the one to answer the door and she'd all but kicked us out the instant we'd appeared on her doorstep. The entire short conversation had been quite frustrating with her glaring at us the whole time and giving us clipped, nasty answers to any of our questions. So… now we stood here, waiting for the boy to come back with news on whether or not we could stay at his place for the night. We'd passed the one and only Inn that the town boasted and it was shabby to say the least. Not that we were all that picky but when sleeping outside was more preferable then something was wrong.

"I'm hungry," Natsu complained, groaning and leaning against the side wall. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his head back… I loved it when he stood that way. There was something so casually sexy about it.

"Yea, I am too," I replied, feeling my stomach rumble as we stood there though I was hungry for something else as well…

As I was saying that, Dustin walked back into the room with a cute smile on his. "You can stay," he said excitedly. "I'll take you to the room."

"Thank you. This is really nice of you," I said and followed him while Natsu fell into step behind me. He led us up a wide wooden staircase and then pointed at a door to the right.

"Here's the guest room," he said and I walked inside, noticing straight away the single bed in the center of the room. It wasn't even a large bed, smaller than my own at home.

"Is there any place we can go eat?" Natsu asked while he dropped his bags on the floor.

"We can make you something. Let's go down to the kitchen," the boy said and my stomach growled in answer.

I set my bag down as well, taking off my coat and fur lined pants and leaving them on the pile near Natsu's then followed him back out of the room and then downstairs, weaving through several rooms before finally entering a large kitchen.

"Master Dustin, what can I do for you?" a young lady with jet black hair asked, wearing a uniform of sorts with a black skirt and white button up shirt, covered by a white apron. The clothes were too large though, hanging off her slight body which made her look even younger than she probably was. She put down the knife she'd been using to cut up some vegetables and rubbed her hands off on her apron.

"Maered, can you make them some sandwiches?" he asked while taking a seat on one of the bar stools that lined the counter.

The girl blushed and nodded her head. "Yes, of course sir."

"Thanks," I said, taking a seat next to Dustin and Natsu taking a seat beside me.

I watched the girl scurry around the kitchen, grabbing this and that and occasionally glancing quickly at Dustin beside me. Did she have a crush on him? She looked like she was my age so the idea didn't seem possible but the looks she kept casting his direction and the blushes that stained her cheeks made it seem like she did. Plus, this was the second person who'd called him master. Who was he?

"Where are you guys from?" Dustin asked Natsu and I, interrupting my thoughts.

"We both live in Magnolia," I answered and watched him quirk his head to the side.

"Where's that?" he asked.

"It's in Fiore."

He looked at me quizzically and asked, "Fiore? Where's that?"

I turned wide eyes to Natsu. _What the heck?_

"Right next to Seven and Bosco… in Earthland" I answered and he still looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. "Where are we?"

"This is Kern, in the Kingdom of Winter," he responded and I took a deep breath, turning once again to face Natsu.

This is just too unbelievable. What had that woman done to us? What had been in that drink? … And how did Mira have a part in all of this?

The girl, Maered, pushed our plates in front of us on the counter and turned to Dustin, another blush staining her cheeks. "Do you wish anything else Master?" she asked and he shook his head. I watched her nod her head in a slight bow and then dash out of the room.

"The Kingdom of Winter… I've never heard of it," said Natsu, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich.

Shock crossed Dustins face. "How have you never heard of the Winter King?"

"Who's that?" Natsu mumbled while chewing a mouthful of food.

"He rules the land from his palace in Frioza. He creates the snow and the ice. He's the most powerful wizard in Leonas."

Grumbling, Natsu said, "Stupid ice wizards," and I watched Dustin nearly fall off his chair.

His mouth hung open in shock and then his eyes started to scan the room, looking up at the ceiling like something was about to rain down on us.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You must not say such things. The Winter King can see and hear everything. People have died for saying less." His voice was hushed and his shoulders were tense.

"Well, we're wizards too. I'd like to see him try," Natsu said, cracking his knuckles with a big grin planted on his face.

"You're wizards?!" Dustin asked incredulously.

"Yea. We're in a guild called Fairy Tail… the strongest guild in Fiore," I answered, feeling overwhelming pride at being able to say that.

"A guild? What's a guild?" he asked.

"It's a place where lots of mages gather."

"And you guys are in the strongest one?"

"Yup! Strongest and the best!" Natsu said proudly.

"So you can use magic?"

"Mhmm," I answered and grabbed one of my keys, calling out Gemini. An exact duplicate of me appeared on the opposite side of the counter and I laughed at the expression on Dustin's face.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, his mouth hanging open.

"Gemini, transform into Dustin!" I said, pointing to the green haired boy. An instant later, a perfect replica of Dustin with his bright green hair and golden eyes stood behind the counter.

"You're amazing!" he said and I felt my chest puff up.

"Well…"

"Fire dragons…"

"No! Natsu!" I hollered and grabbed his hands before he could cast any magic. "You'll burn the place down."

Natsu turned to me with a disappointed look on his face and then grinned. "Bah, you're right." He turned his hand palm up and a tiny flame appeared above.

"Wow! Fire!" Dustin said and then his face suddenly turned solemn. I sent Gemini away and then listened as Dustin said, "You shouldn't let anyone know that you can use magic." His voice turned into a hushed whisper. "A few years ago, a young boy in the village discovered that he could use magic and within days, men dressed completely in black were spotted around town. The boy went missing and was never found."

"These men, did they work for the King?" I asked, intrigued by his story.

"They didn't have the normal appearance of the Kings army but the rumor is that they are some elite force that he uses for special jobs."

"I'm liking this Winter King less and less," Natsu said and I could tell by the look on his face that he was getting angry.

"Master," I meek voice interrupted and once again, Maered entered the room. "Your Grandmother would like to meet the guests."

A huge smile lit up Dustins face and he bounced out of the chair. "Tell her we will be right there."

We got up and followed Dustin out to the hallway, leaving our empty plates behind. When he stopped suddenly and turned around, I nearly ran into him and then I felt Natsu walk right into my back.

"Don't tell her you're wizards. She gets very upset when you talk about magic," he said and started walking again.

My entire body was tense. Natsu's hands were holding my waist, lingering there after he'd initially grabbed me to steady himself after running into me. I could feel his entire length against my back, making my quake where I stood. It was amazing how quickly my body responded to him. And what was more amazing was that he didn't immediately release me, waiting until I took a step forward to follow Dustin before letting go of my waist.

We entered a large room decorated in old style tapestries and large ornate furniture. At the far end was a huge glass door which led out to a patio surrounded by glass where I could see someone sitting beside a round glass table. We walked outside and the lady sitting there turned her bright golden eyes up to us with a huge, genuine smile on her lined face. She was quite stunning even though she was well advanced in years. Her mass of grey hair was piled on top of her head in a well coifed bun and she held her head almost regally as she regarded us.

"Welcome," she said, her voice sweet yet authoritative. "I'm Abigail." She held her hand out where she sat and that's when I noticed that she was in a wheel chair, her legs wrapped in a wool blanket.

"I'm Lucy and this is Natsu. It's nice to meet you. Thank you for letting us stay here for the night." I took a step back after shaking her hand and watched Natsu shake her hand as well. When he moved back, his shoulder brushed against mine and I found myself enjoying the comfort it offered as the lady looked us over.

"Lovely… what a cute couple you make," she said, startling us both.

"Uh, we aren't a couple," I said quickly, smiling nervously.

"Ha! Sure you aren't," she said and chuckled quietly as she picked up a small tea cup and lifted it to her lips. "Please, take a seat," she offered, indicating the wrought iron chairs surrounding the table with mint green colored cushions covering the seats.

We each sat down and Maered, who had been hovering around us since we'd walked outside, began pouring each of us a cup of tea and then disappeared into the house when she was finished. I was surprised by how warm it was here, the only thing between us and the outside air being the glass walls but it was a quite pleasant temperature.

"So what are you here for?" the old lady asked.

"Well, we actually are here because of a job we took. We have to find the sleeping stone. Do you, by any chance, know anything about it?" I asked, taking a sip from my tea. Mmm, it was delicious… a hint of citrus mixed in with the rich herbs.

"Sleeping stone…," she repeated, quirking her face to the side as she thought. "I've never heard of anything called that. Are you sure it's in Kern?" she asked.

"All we were given was something that said, 'Once in Kern, seek the sleeping stone'."

"I tried to take them to see Porphyry but we were told to come back tomorrow," Dustin said.

"Ah, good idea. If anyone would know, she would."

"So, what kind of job is this?" Abigail asked, taking another sip of tea.

I looked wearily over at Dustin and he subtly shook his head. "It's just something a friend of ours asked us to look in to."

"I see," she said and I could tell she knew that I wasn't telling her everything. "And how long have you two known each other?" she asked, indicating Natsu and I with a nod of her head.

"Over a year," Natsu answered and I smiled at him, remembering how we'd met. It was incredible to think how much my life had changed since that day.

"And when did you fall in love with her?" she asked and we both gasped in shock.

"I, uh…," Natsu began to say, his eyes wide while he scratched the side of his head.

"Hehe, you guys are cute. You'll figure it out soon enough," she said and I would swear my face was about to explode from the boiling heat that was suddenly burning my cheeks.

"Grandma thinks everyone is in love," Dustin said lightly.

"And I'm always right," Abigail added.

"Well," Dustin tilted his head as he thought. "You weren't right about Tom and Sophie."

His grandmother snorted derisively. "Those two are more stubborn than a corpse."

I grabbed my cup of tea and swallowed a huge gulp.

"It's a shame you are coming here now. This town used to be so beautiful a few years ago."

Dustin spoke up to add, "More than a few years ago Grandma. Before I was born."

"Ah yes, well… I'm old so time doesn't pass the same for me as it does you."

"What happened?" I asked.

The old lady sighed and her eyes took on a far away look. "Endless winter is what happened. Do you know what constant cold does to an old woman like me?" She shook her head and continued, "What am I thinking? Of course you don't. You're young and full of life and possibility. Don't listen to my ramblings because that's just what they are… ramblings."

I smiled and watched her push a lock of grey hair aside that had escaped her bun.

"Dustin, why don't you take them to the hill and you can all go sledding?" Abigail suggested. "And take Maered with you. Gosh only knows when that girls ever has some fun in her life."

"That's a good idea. Are you guys up for it?" he turned to us and asked.

"Sure, sounds fun," I answered.

"You kids have fun!" she said as we all stood up.

"It was very nice meeting you. Thanks again for everything," I said and then followed Dustin back inside the house.

We walked back up the stairs and agreed to meet back up in a few minutes after we'd all changed our clothes into something warmer. Natsu closed the door behind us and I grabbed my discarded jacket and pants, thankful once again that they'd been packed in that bag.

"What are you going to wear?" I asked while I tugged the pants on.

"I don't need anything," he answered and leaned against the door.

"You should at least put on a long sleeve shirt. You can get a nasty burn if you fall in the snow off a sled."

Natsu shrugged and walked to his bag. He grabbed a long sleeved black t-shirt and slid off his vest before putting the shirt on. I couldn't help but stare at his body as he did, the muscles bending and flexing as he lifted his arms up and settled the fabric over himself. The shirt was fitted nicely to his form, stretching over his broad chest and shoulders. I wanted to eat him right up where he stood.

"Are you ready?" he asked as I stood up and I nodded in answer.

Dustin was already outside waiting for us and when we started walking down the stairs I could see Maered dressed in a baby blue snow suit which made her look way younger than I'd originally even thought, waiting at the front door.

"Hello," I said as we approached and the girl smiled shyly and opened the door for us.

Waiting outside for us laid two sleds and as soon as I looked at them I realized something. "Natsu, I don't think you're going to be able to go sledding with us. It's a form of transportation."

He groaned and looked at me with sad eyes. "Can you do the head thing again?" It took a moment for me to figure out what he was trying to ask but when I did I instantly felt butterflies in my stomach… _I get to play with his hair again_!

"Sure. We can try," I answered, trying to sound nonchalant while inside I was doing a little dance.

It took a good twenty minutes once outside of the town to walk to the hillside and immediately Dunkin jumped on his sled with Maered and they went tearing down at quite an alarming speed.

"Come on!" Natsu cried and jumped into the sled, his face immediately turning green after moving a whole whoppin' six inches.

"Scoot forward," I said, shoving at his shoulder and then slid in behind him. _Man, this shouldn't feel this good._ My legs stretched out in front of me, lying beside his and I had to press my body almost completely against his back so that I could fit in the little space left for me.

"Hands!" Natsu groaned and started reaching back blindly.

I placed my hands on his head and started to lightly scratch his scalp, resisting the urge to groan as well. I loved touching him.

"Feel alright?" I asked, resting my chin on his right shoulder.

"It's a little better," he said, relaxing into me. "Let's give it another minute."

I definitely didn't mind. I could do this all day.

My fingers slowly caressed him, his body easing back so that his head rested high against my chest, his face turned slightly towards my throat. If I turned just a tiny bit my mouth would be inches from his. My heart started to beat loudly, thundering in my ears. I took a deep breath and adjusted my legs so that they weren't hanging off the sides.

"Ready?" I asked, swallowing the lump that was rapidly growing in my throat.

"Yea, let's try it," he said and I reached down beside us and started to push; only successfully managing to budge us a few inches.

"Can you help?" I asked, pushing again with little luck.

His arms reached out and with both him and me pushing, the sled jerked forward and started down the hill. A moment later I heard Natsu groan and then his head was turning against me, his face pressing into my neck. Sparks burst down my spine. The feel of his face rubbing against my neck was intimately incredible. I tightened my arms around him, holding him tighter as we raced down the hill and when we finally reached the bottom and the sled coasted to a stop, Natsu still didn't move.

"Are you ok?" I asked, holding him tightly while the fingers of one hand continued to play with his hair.

An incoherent moan was all I received in answer and then Dustin along with Maered ran up to us.

"What's wrong?" Dustin asked, genuine concern on his face.

"Yea, he'll be fine but I don't think he'll be sledding any more," I answered, slightly disappointed. "But you guys go ahead. He should be better in a few minutes."

They looked at Natsu one last time and then darted up the hillside, Dustin dragging the red sled behind him.

"Luuuucy," Natsu moaned. His lips brushed against the skin on my throat and my entire body quivered in response.

"Yea?" I whispered, afraid of what my voice would sound like.

"Thank you," he said, taking me by surprise.

"Thank you for what?" I asked.

"Trying."

I smiled and leaned my cheek against the top of his head. He could be so sweet sometimes.

The next hour was filled with me sliding down the mountain, racing Dustin and Maered while Natsu built ramps for us to jump off of. When the sun started to go down we made our way back to the village and headed straight for Dustin's home.

"We should go see the performance tonight," Dustin said, his cheeks red from the excitement earlier. Even Maered's face was alight with happiness and she smiled widely at Dustin's suggestion.

"What performance?" Natsu asked, depositing the sled in front of Dustin's house and then walking inside.

"It's nothing special but the people in town put on a short, usually comedic routine once a week."

"Sounds like fun," I answered and we all walked upstairs.

"We'll have dinner and then go!" Dustin said and disappeared behind a door, presumably to his bedroom.

Natsu and I went inside our room and I pealed the warm jacket and pants off of myself. I knew I must look like an absolute mess with my hair damp from the snow and sticking out all over the place so I quickly grabbed a brush and started smoothing it out.

"Sorry you couldn't go sledding," I said while I struggled to pull my brush through a knot.

"I still had fun," he said and I watched him pull his black shirt over his head. _Oh he was so yummy!_ I was starting to like this room sharing thing. But then I remembered the bed… UGH! I could see another torturous night in my future.

Natsu slid his vest back on and then took a seat next to me on the bed while I finished brushing out my hair.

"I wonder what Happy is doing?" Natsu said.

"He's probably still visiting his parent's." I put the brush down and stood up. "Time for dinner."

* * *

"This place is neat," I said, taking a seat on a blanket laid out over the ground which was covered in dry hay. We were in a large barn, a stage set up in the front of the room and dozens of people were already setting up their spots to settle in for the show.

Natsu sat down to the right of me, Dustin already sitting to my left with Maered beside him. The place was chillier than I'd expected and I wished I'd brought my fur lined pants with me, the cool air going right through my thin pants. At least I'd brought my coat though.

When the show started I leaned back on my arms to watch and Natsu did the same. Our legs were stretched out in front of us and might right leg was just barely brushing against his. I could feel the heat radiating off of him and I wished that I had a permanent furnace inside of me like he did.

A little bit into the show I started to shiver and pulled my jacket tighter around me, sitting up and pulling my legs to my chest.

"Are you cold?" Natsu asked, sitting up beside me.

"Yea. I should have brought those pants with me," I answered and suddenly I gasped when Natsu slid his hands beneath my armpits and lifted me up, depositing me between his legs and then wrapped his arms around my body.

"Wh…," I started to say, my entire body tensing up, but when the warmth hit me I sighed and leaned back. _It felt so good._ His arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, his legs on either side of mine

"Better?" he asked and I nodded my head in answer. _Way better._

I snuggled against him, acutely aware of his powerful thighs pressed against me. "Thank you," I whispered, leaning my head back against his chest and when he whispered something quietly back to me I gasped out loud, his breath tickling my ear and sending electric waves down my spine. My body instantly tensed but his arms didn't release their grip, still holding me tight till I relaxed back against him again. Warmth pooled low in my belly, stirring a strange fluttering between my legs. I squirmed, trying to ease some of the discomfort and tried to balance myself as I shifted, my hand ending up on the center of his thigh.

I snatched my hand back, biting my lip nervously as I placed it back in my own lap. I heard him suck in a quiet breath behind me and I wondered at the noise. I hope I didn't upset him.

For the rest of the show I somehow managed to keep still though my thoughts were a riotous mess. I could feel every slight movement of his body; feel his chest as he took deep breaths. My hands ached to touch him… to just reach out and smooth up and down his legs. By the time the show was over my stomach was in a thousand knots and I hardly remembered anything that had happened, my thoughts so focused on the man behind me.

"So what did you think?" Dustin asked and I was thankful when Natsu answered since I hadn't a clue what to say.

We folded up our blanket and headed out of the barn, making our way back to the house. It was quite late and it wasn't long before we all retired to our rooms for the night.

The bed… oh God, the bed sat in the center of the room, an instant reminder that we had to share the small mattress the entire night. I grabbed my bag and held it tightly to my chest. "I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back," I said and then darted out of the room to find the nearest bathroom. When I got inside I closed the door and dropped my bag to the floor. Ugh! What am I going to do?!

My back still tingled from where it had been pressed against Natsu and I closed my eyes, letting myself remember how it had felt within his arms. How was I going to make it another night beside him?... without touching him?!

I could already feel the lust building inside me, my muscles aching with need.

_Calm down Lucy, calm down. _I can do this. I can sleep next to the sexiest man alive and not molest him… I think. I placed my hands on the edges of the ceramic sink and leaned my head back, my eyes closed as my face tilted towards the ceiling. I took a deep breath and then looked at myself in the mirror. _You're fine. You did it last night. You can do it again._

… But that was before I'd been held in his strong arms and been able to breathe in his intoxicating scent.

I turned on the cold water and splashed my face, letting the water drip down my neck before I grabbed a nearby hand towel and wiped my face. With shaky hands I grabbed my pajamas out of the bag, pulling out a sheer light pink tank top which reached just above my navel and then a pair of grey cotton shorts. I brushed my teeth and then combed out my hair before giving myself one last look in the mirror and leaving the room.

"Natsu!" I squeaked, nearly running into him after closing the bathroom door behind me.

"Sorry," he said quietly.

My pulse was beating rapidly, my knees shaking unsteadily. "It's all yours," I said and sprinted across the hallway to our bedroom, almost slamming the door closed behind me. I threw my bag against the far wall and quickly slid beneath the covers, sliding my body as far to the edge of the bed as possible.

Maybe if I didn't look at him before he got into bed I would be ok.

As soon as the door squeaked open my body became stiff as a board, completely attuned to every little noise he made as he walked around and put his stuff away.

"Lucy?" Natsu said and I groaned. He wasn't going to make this easy was he?

"Yea?"

"Are you tired?" he asked and I could tell from the direction his voice came from that he was standing on the opposite side of the bed.

"Yea," I lied. I wasn't about to let myself get up. Then I'd have to look at him and just the thought of it sent lust into my veins.

The bed dipped and shifted as he got in, his body far enough away that he wasn't touching me though my back was achingly aware of his presence. My muscles cramped, tension making them stiff and I groaned silently… let the torture begin.

To be continued…

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**Sorry, sorry, sorry! I'll try my hardest to update quick. I just got a new laptop so hopefully I'll be able to write more often since I can take it around with me. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't worry, the good stuff is coming soon… I promise.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews.. even the ones that threaten my life! lol! You guys are amazing! You really keep me motivated!**

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**Chapter 7**

I can feel the blankets being pulled off my body as Natsu turns in the bed, the mattress bouncing slightly.

"Natsu!" I hiss, frustration already burning in my body, making the agitation I was feeling slip out of my mouth easily.

"Hmm?" he groaned and the sound is so close, unsettling me as it reminds me just how near we were.

"You're taking all the blankets," I admonish, tugging forcefully on the covers.

With a groan, Natsu relinquishes his hold on the blankets and turns to face me. '_Ugh, no! At least face the other direction!'_ I plead inside my head, my body clenching deliciously at the sight of his face in the shadowed darkness. I decide to roll over, turning my back to him as I curl my body on the edge of the mattress.

I laid there for a while, concentrating on my own breathing to try to calm my bodies' response to his nearness. _In… out, in… out. _

It didn't work though. Nothing seemed to be able to soothe the burning ache inside my body. I closed my eyes tightly shut and rolled over on to my back, sighing heavily before I opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling.

"Trouble falling asleep?" Natsu asked quietly, his voice softer than I'm used to hearing.

I nodded my head and answered, "Yea. You?"

I could see him nod his head as well, his body still facing mine as he lay on his side with one arm crooked beneath the pillow under his head and the other lying palm down on the mattress between us. I turned as well, moving on to my side and mimicked his pose; only a foot and a half of space keeping us apart.

"Do you not own any pajamas?" I asked, hoping my line of thought wasn't obvious as I tried not to stare too hard at his chest.

Natsu grinned. "Why do I need pajamas? This is more comfortable."

"Because," my mind sifted through reasons, wanting to scream '_Because you're torturing me with your near nakedness!' _but thankfully I didn't. Instead I answered, "Because normal people wear them. Maybe you're spending too much time with Gray."

I heard Natsu chuckle and move slightly on the bed. "Will you go with me?"

My throat was getting dry, desire pumping through my veins. He was unusually calm, the exuberant energy that generally encompassed him tamed down. Something was different with the way Natsu was acting and for some reason it turned me on even more. "Go where?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"To get pajamas," he answered, still grinning.

"Oh… yea, sure," I said and couldn't help it when my eyes dipped to the small patch of skin on his chest that was exposed above the blankets. I wished that I could see more. Hmm… maybe if I pushed the blankets off me…

I huffed dramatically and said, "It's hot in here," and whipped the blankets down my body to my waist. My inner self cheered triumphantly, the covers slipping down his body as well to completely reveal his chest and the top of his abdominals.

"Yea, it is," he said and pushed the blankets further down so that they pooled at his waist like they did over me. _Mmmmmmm!_

I tried not to stare, I really did, but the allure of his bare torso kept dragging my gaze southward. "I hope that lady can help us tomorrow," I said, trying to sound unaffected by his barely clad body.

"Me too," he answered, his eyes looking straight into mine. It was unsettling the way he was looking at me, like he was trying to read my thoughts. _God, I hope he couldn't. I'd be in big trouble…_

I dipped my gaze to his chest, biting my lower lip nervously. My stomach was churning, my body almost quaking with some strange feeling that left me painfully uncomfortable. A small thread clung to his skin between his pectorals, daring me to pluck it off and before I had a moment to think about what I was doing I reached forward and brushed it away from his skin. The brief contact sent sparks through my fingertips and up my arm. I felt his body stiffen perceptibly and when I pulled my hand back he relaxed.

"Thanks," he said, still staring into my eyes.

"You're welcome," I answered quietly, unable to look him in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time. My eyes bounced between his face and his chest. I wanted to say something… anything to alleviate some of the oppressive strain between us.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope," he said simply and then I sucked in a quick breath when his hand reached out and picked off a fuzz that had been on my shirt near the center of my belly.

"Thanks," I said, gulping audibly.

"You're welcome."

Frustration was gnawing at my bones. I struggled to restrain myself, everything inside me wanting me to leap across the small space between us.

"What time is it?" Natsu asked quietly.

"I don't know," I answered and then remembered that there was a small clock on the small table beside me. I turned around, wiggling my body till I was lying on my other side facing away from Natsu then reached out with one arm to pick up the square clock. Suddenly my entire body tensed up, my nerves on high alert as I felt the bed shift and then Natsu's arm reaching over my side. His body slid behind mine, his chest against my back. I could feel his breath at the back of my neck and my spine tingled. _Holy shit… _this felt good, _too_ good. I forgot about the small object in my hands, my entire focus on the feel of his hard body against mine.

"Almost midnight," Natsu said, reading the clock over my shoulder and then placing it back on the table.

"It- it's late," I mumbled, my lips quivering. I turned my head slightly to look over my shoulder, my body pressing back against his.

His arm was still hovering over my side. "Lucy?" Natsu whispered, his voice sending shivers down my body.

"Hmm?" I managed to say and then moaned when his arm relaxed and draped over my side... _oh God, moaned… I can't believe I just did that._

"I feel funny," he said, still whispering in my ear.

What? Funny? He felt, _funny_? Funny was putting it mildly where I was concerned. My heart was pounding inside my chest, a throbbing ache building between my thighs. Desire was eating me alive.

"I- I do too," I answered.

His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me more firmly against him. My body was shaking uncontrollably, anticipation boiling inside my blood. _Was this really happening?_ I could feel his thighs behind my own and I wanted to wiggle against him, alleviate some of these strange feelings coursing throughout my being.

Natsu buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling. "You smell good."

My body was ablaze, trembling with need and that's when I felt it… the subtle brush of his lips against my neck.

"_Ahh_," I gasped and moaned quietly into the back of my hand, my other hand grabbing the sheets beside me and bunching them up in my fist. It was simply too much; his body against mine, his scent filling my nostrils, his breath against my skin…

"You taste good too," he said and then his mouth opened on my neck and I gave up trying to hold back… I cried out, his tongue sliding over my skin. The arm which was draped over my waist started to move, his fingers pressing against me and caressing my stomach with only my shirt as a barrier.

My body was still shaking, my breath coming in short gasps. His tongue leisurely licked my flesh, teasing the sensitive area beneath my jaw. _Oh God!_ I wanted to scream. I was completely helpless.

His lips started to trail up, moving to my jaw and then the side of my cheek. "Natsu?" I whispered huskily, surprising even myself by the sound.

"Lucy…"

I turned towards him, his lips feathering kisses across my cheek to the corner of my mouth. I took an unsteady breath and then licked my lips. His body shifted, moving so that I could lie back slightly without removing his mouth from where it hovered less than an inch above mine. He leaned over me, his breath ghosting across my lips.

He was so close, so devastatingly close.

I heard a strangled moan erupt from his mouth and then his lips descended on mine. Pleasure shot through my body, waves of heat tumbling to every limb. I groaned against his mouth and arched up, wantonly displaying my need for him. Our lips brushed together lightly and lifted, experimenting with each other before his mouth opened slightly and I felt his tongue slide across the seem of my lips. I whimpered at the feeling, my body giving an involuntary shudder and then suddenly Natsu turned and left me, rolling to the other side of the bed.

_No! What just happened?! _Emotion sat thickly in my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

"Natsu…," I said quietly.

"I'm sorry," he said so softly I could barely hear it. _Sorry?_

I scooted across the space and pressed against his back, wrapping my arm around his waist like he'd been doing to me just a few seconds ago. I kissed his neck, letting my tongue skim over his warm skin like he'd done and he groaned in my arms while he turned to face me. "Lucy… what are you…" Our lips met again, this time hungrily pressing against one another and when his tongue poked out to slide across my mouth I instantly parted my lips and met his tongue with my own. We both moaned and his mouth slanted over mine, deepening the contact and his tongue delved greedily. I felt clumsy in my response, unsure of what to do but desire charted my course for me, my responses natural and primitive in their need.

He turned to fully face me and then rolled me on top of him, not relinquishing contact with my mouth as he threaded his fingers in my long hair and angled my face over his. My chest pressed against his and I lifted a hand to brace myself on the mattress. Our lips became bolder, hungrily devouring each other while we gasped for breaths between caresses.

His kiss was soft yet bold, aggressive yet tentative. My mind was swirling with desire, making me dizzy with _him_ as the only stable thing in my swaying world. I licked into his mouth and then boldly sucked on his tongue, eliciting a primal groan from Natsu, the sound reverberating through his chest and up his throat.

I felt his hands move and grasp my waist, his fingers digging in slightly to my flesh. I shuddered at his touch, my skin prickling wherever his fingers caressed. The tips slipped slowly beneath the hem of my shirt over my stomach and I gasped, raising my head to look down at him and his beautiful wide eyes. His fingers stilled and I watched him gulp nervously. He was so breathtakingly adorable and innocently sexy. I felt my stomach turn over in my gut and I crushed my lips over his. His arms immediately wrapped around my back, holding me close and my legs slipped to either side of his hips, settling astride him.

Our tongues battled, short gasps erupting between our mouths as we sought to consume each other before I broke away and sucked in a greedy breath. I sat up, my body resting intimately over his hips and looked down at him. Even in the moonlit darkness I could see his flushed cheeks and his broad chest rising and falling rapidly. He was so sexy! I reached my hands out and rested them lightly over his pecs, gulping audibly as I pressed down and ran my fingers over his smooth skin. Oh God, I've wanted to do this for so long. Lust boiled inside me, making my hands bolder as they slid down his torso to his abs.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried out and reached his arms up towards my shoulder. He pulled me down against him and rolled us over quickly, his body pressing me into the soft mattress as his mouth claimed mine with a ferocity that left me breathless. My legs parted on instinct, letting his hips settle against me and I moved my hands to his hair. My fingers sifted through his thick locks, tugging while he kissed me hard.

His body felt sinfully good against mine, his weight holding me captive beneath him. One of his hands traveled down my side, dipping into my waist and then slid over my hip before it moved back up and delved without hesitation beneath my shirt. My stomach muscles contracted, my body stilling until his fingers began stroking my skin. His mouth still possessed mine and his tongue started to mimic the movement of his fingers, caressing me in broad circular sweeps.

A strange pulsing sensation started between my thighs, making me want to move against him and I pressed my hips up, rubbing against his and I gasped when I realized what I was doing. I stopped immediately but my movements seemed to have stoked something inside of Natsu. He pushed against me, rubbing something hard and intimidating against my groin and I tightened my grip on his hair.

"Ahhh!" I cried out as he grinded against me and then his hand on my stomach moved up, his fingers coming in contact with my lower ribs.

"Natsu… we," I started to say but my words were swallowed by his hot mouth. I kissed him back with all the pent up need inside me and slid my hands down to his shoulders, massaging the corded muscles there as he continued to move against me. When his fingers brushed against the underside of my breast I froze and tore my mouth from his. "We gotta… stop," I choked out, grabbing his wrist and stilling his hand.

He looked down at me, desire clearly evident in his gaze and then his forehead fell against mine. I heard and felt him take a shuddering breath, his hand slowly sliding out from beneath my shirt and then moving to the mattress beside me so that he could hover above me. "I'm sor…" he began to say but I quickly placed my fingers over his mouth to silence him and smiled.

"Don't be sorry." I leaned up and kissed him, my lips softly brushing against his. When I pulled back he rolled off of me, taking me with him so that we were lying on our sides, facing each other. His hand reached up and his fingers gently began to caress my face, the tips stroking along my cheek as he looked at me and then leaned forward to kiss me. His lips were so sweet and warm. I felt myself responding almost instantly to his kiss, desire which still lingered in my body heating up.

When he finally pulled away he looked nervous and unsure of himself, something I wasn't used to at all when it came to Natsu. "Are you ok?" I asked, placing my palm flat over the center of his chest. His heart was still pounding rapidly beneath. It was hard to resist running my hand over him again but somehow… somewhere deep inside a bit of sanity still resided within me and I took a deep breath to keep my hand still.

He nodded his head and closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again to gaze at me. "Are you ok?" he asked, concern clear on his face.

I nodded as well and smiled. _I was much better than ok._

"Let's try to go to sleep," I said and snuggled against him, my face buried under his chin. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly… almost too tightly but it felt good. I almost couldn't believe what had just happened. I'd wanted him for so long, dreamed of being held like this and now it had finally happened. I thought for sure that it would take forever for me to fall asleep but surprisingly, within minutes, I was drifting to sleep, my mind and body exhausted.

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_It's hot! I feel like I'm on fire!_

I groaned and reached my hand down to tug the blankets off my body and encountered flesh… hot naked flesh. _What the?!_ My eyes flew open and I looked down. Morning light filtered through the windows into the room and I could see Natsu draped over my body, making it hard to breathe. His body was like a furnace, making me sweaty and… oh wow, unbelievably aroused. My body was already thrumming with desire, lust pounding thick and hard in my veins.

He was so sexy! His head rested on my chest, his face tilted towards my neck. One of his arms lay heavily over my body and one of his legs draped lazily over my own. At some point the blankets had been kicked to the end of the bed so I could see every glorious inch of his back. I lifted my head just a few inches off of my pillow and gazed down, trying not to move too much so that I didn't wake him.

_Holy cow… what a sight! _His shorts had slid down slightly, just barely but it was enough so that I could see a small bit of rounded backside. His skin was lighter there, not quite as tanned as the rest of him. I wanted to reach my hand down and touch him there but I didn't think I could reach. My fingers flexed in the sheets, bunching them up in my fist and then I slowly… gently, placed my hand on his back.

He didn't stir.

I slid my hand down, my fingers dipping into the curve at the small of his back and with a little wiggle I was able to just barely reach the pale skin with the tips of my fingers.

Ah! Not enough!

I tried to move a little more but immediately froze when Natsu moaned in his sleep. He didn't wake up though so a few seconds later I wiggled again, shifting my body so that I could reach a bit farther…

Oh sweet heaven! My fingers curved around his backside, squeezing his soft rounded flesh and I groaned.

"Lucy?" Natsu said, his voice soft and questioning.

_Shit!_ I could only lay still, my hand still resting over his rear.

He lifted his head from my chest and looked down at me, his eyes sleepy and confused as he hovered above me. _Oh what the hell?!_ I reached one hand up and pulled his head down; sealing my lips over his while the other squeezed his backside, another groan slipping up my throat. He hesitated briefly, his lips unmoving while I slid my tongue inside and then I heard a loud rumble and his mouth started to respond, kissing me with wild abandonment as I slid my hand freely up and down his back.

_Oh God, I wanted him badly!_ I arched up against him, needing the contact of his flesh against mine. My belly pressed against his and then I was moving two hands over his back. I loved the way he felt, how every inch of him was covered in toned muscle and how perfectly his body narrowed from his broad shoulders to his hips. I couldn't get enough of touching him, of running my hands up and down the center of his back and then up and down his sides.

My legs were parted, allowing his hips to sink into mine. I bent my knees to deepen the contact and gasped at the feeling of his aroused state pressing against the apex of my thighs.

I whimpered when his mouth left mine but then his lips started to blaze a trail down over my jaw and along my throat. I tilted my head back, giving him better access and felt his tongue slide across my skin. My body shuddered, his lips devastatingly hot as they worked slowly down my neck. I cried out when he sucked gently on a small patch of skin just above my collar bone and my fingers dug into his back. He continued his course, kissing a line down the top of my chest and paused at the start of my cleavage.

"Is this, ok?" he asked while his lips hovered.

I gulped nervously, firecrackers exploding in my belly. I nodded my head and then clenched my teeth when his tongue licked up the top crack of my cleavage. He shifted his weight, moving to the right side of my body and then placed his hand on my side, his thumb rubbing just below my breast.

My body was shaking, quaking from within with nervous anticipation and then he moved up and kissed me, his lips tenderly caressing mine while his thumb continued to stroke just below my breast. At the first faint brush of his finger over my breast I gasped and wrenched my mouth away. His hand stilled briefly but then he started to move again, slowly working his way up the large mound till his thumb slid over my nipple.

"Oh God!" I screamed, arching my entire body and pressing myself against his hand. The feeling was amazing, streaks of pleasure shooting through my body as he flicked his thumb over the sensitive tip again. "Natsu!"

His hand cupped my breast, squeezing gently and then his lips claimed mine, his tongue sliding inside while he started plucking my nipple through my shirt. My chest was heaving, sucking in large breaths whenever I could and then his lips left mine to move back to the top of my breasts. He kissed the exposed skin, his fingers tugging my shirt slowly down, revealing more and more of my breast. His lips tasted every inch of skin that was uncovered and when my shirt slid below my nipple his lips wrapped around the sensitive nub and I half screamed and half moaned. It was too much… the pleasure so acute I could hardly bare it. My body writhed beneath him, jolts of lightning streaking from my breast to some place between my legs.

A loud knock at the door made us both jump and then freeze.

"Sorry to bother you guys but we have to leave soon," Dustin's voice said through the closed door. Natsu jumped off of the bed and ran to the door, opening it a crack.

"Alright. We'll be out in a few minutes," he said and then clicked the door closed.

I adjusted my shirt so that I was covered and then grabbed the pillow from under my head to cover my flaming face. Regardless of what just happened, my body was still pulsing with lust and my body missed the feeling of his pressing down against it. I felt the mattress move when Natsu climbed back on and then he removed the pillow from my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I groaned and grabbed the pillow again. "Nothing," I murmured and buried my face in the feathered fluffiness. Oh this was so not fair. My body was frustrated beyond belief and somehow I had to get myself up and start getting ready.

"Come on, Lucy," Natsu said and then I felt the top of my shirt being pulled down by his chin moving along the center of my chest. His lips trailed kisses between my breasts and then the fabric was pulled down far enough that it revealed both of my breasts and stuck there. Immediately his mouth was back on my nipple, sucking it inside and caressing it with long wet strokes of his tongue.

My hands dug into the pillow which was still covering my face and I released a long moan. He moved to my other breast and repeated the torture, sending another wave of pleasure through my body and I arched into him.

"I don't want to go," he whispered, his breath hardening my nipple.

I lifted the pillow and sucked in a quick breath at the sight of his mouth closing over the top of my breast. "I… I don't… either," I answered and then sifted my fingers into his hair. "But we have to."

He groaned and lifted his head then leaned forward to kiss me. "Ok, let's go."

To be continued…

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**Woo! Finally kissed… and a bit more. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Oh and just a little reminder if anyone is interested. My Tumblr page is Nicole4211 (same as here) and I think I'm going to start taking pictures I like and writing very short stories about them. I did one already and I think I'll start doing more so if anyone is interested in reading them you can go on there. Also, if anyone wants me to do a short story about a picture **_**they**_** drew just let me know. When I say short I mean like a thousand words or less… most likely. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy Mother's Day to any Mom's out there!**

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**Chapter 8**

With a heavy sigh I turned and looked at Natsu, rolling my eyes in exasperation as we listened to the ladies niece tell us once again to leave.

It had been an _interesting_ morning after being alerted it was time to leave by Dustin to go see Porphyry. It had taken a nearly inhuman effort to roll out of bed… or better yet, to roll out from beneath Natsu. His kisses had been so sweet, luring me to stay with him even though we both knew we had to get up and leave. My body shivered just thinking about his soft lips against mine. I almost couldn't believe it had actually happened. I'd wanted him for so long… had so many fantasies and if the reality hadn't been so unbelievably sweeter than anything my brain could have concocted, I'd probably think that I _had_ been dreaming.

What amazed me even more was the fact that Natsu had seemed to _want me_… maybe even as badly as I wanted him. The evidence had been quite clear when we finally had pulled away from each other and I'd been able to see his obvious arousal tenting his shorts. He'd blushed cutely and scratched the back of his head with a look that told me he was embarrassed and I'd laughed nervously before I'd taken a tentative step towards him and looped my arms around his neck, pressing my body flush against his.

I'd been surprised by my bodies reaction to the feel of his erection against my belly. It was so foreign and strange and I thought I'd be embarrassed but I'd been far from that. Almost instantaneously fire had flooded my veins, making me want to grind instinctively against him and I'd even done so a little when his lips had captured mine and I'd lost nearly all conscious thought. It was incredible how easily I could forget everything around me once his lips touched mine… everything but him. It was like he became the center of my world, the only thing keeping me breathing. I was helplessly enslaved when his mouth was on mine… and it felt wonderful.

By the time we'd finally managed to extract ourselves from each other, it had been late in the morning and Dustin had been waiting for us downstairs in the kitchen.

"But you told us yesterday to come back today. It won't take long," Dustin argued, bringing my thoughts back to the present.

The lady glared at us through stringy strands of grey hair, her face a perpetual frown. "She's…," she began to say and was cut off by a cheery, sing song voice coming from behind her.

"I'm fine Hildy. Let them in," the voice said and the lady at the door narrowed her eyes before she turned her head to holler inside.

"But aunt…"

"Hush! You worry too much. I'd like some guests to visit for once."

I smiled at Natsu and took a step towards the door when the lady stepped aside grudgingly. Dustin went in first and I followed him through a small foyer and then into a larger sitting room. Sitting on an antique looking sofa was a lady with long white hair and the most incredible violet eyes I'd ever seen. She was definitely old, wrinkles lining her features but there was a sharpness to her gaze which made her seem younger than her years.

"Well hello Dusty. It's been a while. How are you sweetie?" the lady asked as we filed into the room and took a seat on another antique sofa perpendicular to the one she was sitting on.

"I'm good. How have you been?" he replied, seeming to be sincerely interested. The ladies niece glared around the room from where she stood in the entryway one last time before she disappeared into another room with a huff.

"Oh you know… same old. Battling fire breathing dragons and kissing fairy tale princes," the lady answered and the boy laughed. She turned her gaze towards Natsu and I and then chuckled… most likely laughing at our gaping faces. "Books my dears, books."

"Oh… ohhhh!" I said and laughed nervously. Natsu was still looking confused beside me and I hurriedly explained. "She meant she _reads in books_ about fighting dragons and kissing princes."

His eyes lit up with understanding and then he laughed loudly. "Oh! I thought you meant me!"

The old lady looked at him questioningly, quirking her head to the side and said, "Now it's me not understanding."

I cleared my throat and then spoke up. "He umm, _we_ are part of a guild called Fairy Tail and he's a fire Dragon Slayer. It was just awfully coincidental how you put what you said earlier."

Her intelligent eyes lit up and a huge smile filled her small face. "You two are mages?!" she asked and before I could say a word, Dustin excitedly cut in.

"Yea! You should see what they can do! It's amazing!"

"I thought you said we shouldn't talk about that?" I said and then rolled my eyes when Natsu lit a small fire in the palm of his hand.

"Incredible!" the old lady said, her eyes fastened to the flame. "It's been years since I've seen someone use magic." Then she shook her head and looked over at me. "But yes, you are right. We should be a bit more… discreet. So what are you guys here for?"

"We were hoping you might be able to help us with something." I reached into my bag and pulled out the small book, opening it to the second page and read, "Once in Kern, seek the sleeping stone. Do you by any chance know what that means?" I asked, putting the book on my lap and turning my face up to look at Porphyry. Natsu shifted beside me, leaning forward with his elbows on the tops of his thighs and the side of his knee now rested against mine.

She chuckled and held her hand out for the book. "Ohh I haven't been called that in years! When did you see Ava?"

"Ava?" I asked, confused as I handed it to her.

"Surely she's the one that gave you that book, right?"

"Well, actually, the lady that gave us this never told us her name."

"Oh uh, tiny thing… purple hair… obsessed with plants?"

I nodded my head and the lady smiled. "She's such an eccentric old woman. How is she doing?"

I quirked my eyebrows, "Old? It must not be the same woman. The one that gave us this was around our age."

"I'm sure she was. She's a shape shifter. She can be whatever she wants to be but regardless of what she looks like, I know she's old… even older than me. See, we used to play together when we were kids. She is two years older than I am.

"She would visit often in those days… before the Winter King took power over the land. We had so much fun. I never had magical powers but she would teach me things and show me what herbs did what. In fact, she taught me so much that eventually people in town started to think that I _did_ have magic powers which, unfortunately made for some difficult times later when the purge happened."

"The purge?" Natsu interrupted to question.

The lady sighed before she started to explain. "When the Winter King started to gain control over the land, he captured any person or any creature that was suspected of being able to use magic and tortured them till they either gave up and used their magic to defend themselves or were deemed unable to use magic like I was. Most were killed, whether they were magicians or not but luckily I was set free.

"Anyway, I'm still here and _still_ talking too much. What are your names?"

"I'm Lucy."

"Natsu."

She smiled at each of us. "You already know my name but I wonder… do you know what it means?" she asked.

Natsu and I both shook our heads, Dustin as well and the lady continued.

"Porphyry is a type of rock which is purple in color, similar to quartz. Ava started calling me the sleeping stone because I liked taking naps during the day out in the fields while she was visiting… well not just when she's visiting. I enjoy naps, still do."

"Oh, I see! So you are the one we were supposed to find!" I said excitedly.

"Yes. Apparently so. Now, let's see here," she said and flipped the page in the book. "Ah whistlefoot."

"Sorry?" I said.

"Whistlefoot. That's what we need to be able to read the next page," she explained and then hollered, "Hildy!"

Not a moment later the ladies niece shuffled into the room with her head bowed but still glowered at us.

"Could you do me a favor and grab the bottle labeled whistlefoot from my study?"

Hildy bobbed her head and left the room, mumbling something under her breath and came back a minute later with a small glass bottle in her hands.

"Thank you honey," Porphyry said and placed the bottle on the table in front of the sofa she was sitting on along with the book I'd given her. We all leaned forward and watched avidly as she flipped to the 3rd page and dripped the liquid within the bottle on the page till it spread to every inch of the paper.

Slowly, little black letters appeared and I leaned farther forward to try and read it from the other couch.

"It says…

_Follow the broken path to the _

_dripping turtle. The crack in the shell _

_will point you in the right direction._

"The dripping turtle?" I said, looking at the old lady.

"I've never heard of it but Dustin can show you the way to the broken path," she said and then Dustin spoke up excitedly.

"Definitely! It's not far from here."

"Well, ok. I guess we'll start there. Is there anything else we should know though before we go? We don't even know where we are. We just sorta, ended up here after drinking something of hers. Do we even know if this will lead us to getting back home?" I asked. Everyone had been so helpful but I still had no idea what was going on. We were in a strange land, apparently far from home where an evil King ruled over the land, though luckily of yet, we had not had any trouble with him. All we had to go on was some strange book that barely told us anything… not even whether or not this would take us home. It was frustrating.

At least I had Natsu though. Just having him with me made me feel at ease.

"Oh yes," Porphyry said, nodding her head. "Ava wouldn't send you here if she didn't have a purpose for you. You'll figure it out eventually."

For some reason, even though I barely even knew the lady, her words comforted me and I smiled in reply. "Thank you. You've been a huge help."

We said our good byes soon after and headed back to Dustin's house to grab our stuff before we headed out. Natsu closed the door behind us after we entered our room and immediately I felt my body respond to the enclosed space. It was like an electric charge permeated the air and it made my skin tingle pleasantly.

"I hope wherever we are going will get us home soon," I commented and bent over to start shoving my stuff back inside my bag.

"Yea. Happy is going to get worried if he comes back and I'm not there."

I picked up my bag and set it on the bed as I finished packing and then took a seat while Natsu got his own stuff ready. He was dressed in his normal attire and I couldn't help but gaze down at his stomach when he straightened up and raised his arms in the air, placing his hands behind his head while he looked over at me. Just a few hours ago I'd been able to touch that stomach and my fingers twitched in my lap to reach out again.

Instead though, I stood up and hefted my bag over my shoulder. "Are you ready?" I asked, glancing over at him a moment before his hands reached out and grabbed me around my waist, turning me around to face him while his lips dipped down and sealed over mine. He pulled me roughly against him, his mouth slanting over mine while his tongue slipped between my eagerly parting lips.

I groaned deep in my throat, lust immediately boiling inside of me. My hands reached up and wrapped around his shoulders, my fingers sliding up the back of his neck and then sifting into his hair.

He stepped forward, making me stumble back and slid my bag down to the ground an instant before he had my back against the wall, his mouth still hungrily devouring my own. His hands moved greedily up and down my back, lingering over my hips while his chest pressed me tightly against the wall.

My heart was pounding, making me dizzy with erotic longing. His mouth was driving me crazy, his tongue sliding deliciously over my own till suddenly he tore his mouth from mine and backed away a few steps, bending forward with his hands resting on his knees while he sucked in deep breaths.

"Someone's… coming…," he said and sure enough, not two seconds later a quiet knock sounded on the door and then it creaked open slowly.

"Hello?" the shy voice said and a moment later Maered's head peaked around the door. "Master asked me to give you these to pack with your stuff before you all left." She walked nervously inside and dropped two bed rolls along with blankets on the mattress before turning quickly for the door. "He's waiting for you downstairs," she said and closed the door softly behind her.

I looked over at Natsu who was still breathing heavily and bit my lip. He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair while he released a long sigh and then he stood up, taking a step towards me. "I guess we should go," he said, taking another step which brought him within inches of me.

I gulped audibly and looked up at him. "Y-yea, I guess we should," I answered and then held my breath while I watched his face lower slowly towards mine. His lips were slightly parted, his eye lids almost closed and ever so gently his lips brushed over mine. I felt his warm body press up against me and my back was once again pushed against the wall. His right hand lifted to my face, cupping my cheek as his thumb leisurely started stroking the corner of my mouth and his other arm braced himself on the wall beside my head.

"Lucy?" he whispered, his lips still gently brushing over my own.

"Yea?" I whispered back and then gasped when his teeth nipped at my lower lip.

"Tell me to stop."

Air hitched in my throat and my knees went weak. "W-why?"

"Because… I don't think I can," he said and then his mouth was over mine, his tongue delving deeply inside. He growled roughly in his throat and then his kiss became frantic, his tongue licking erotically inside my mouth. "I can't get enough of you," he breathed and then crushed his lips over mine.

I pulled on the silky strands of his hair and kissed him back, my body consumed with heat. His hands were all over my body, sliding down my sides and then up my stomach to my chest. He squeezed my breasts and then his hips were pushing against mine.

"Natsu!" I gasped and then grabbed a fistful of his hair to tilt his head and deepen the kiss. My heart thumped rapidly inside my chest and I couldn't control the way my body grinded against his… like lust was guiding my every move. His thumbs began teasing my hardening nipples and I sucked in a shuddering breath every time they slid over the sensitive nubs.

Somewhere in the back of my head I knew we had to stop. Dustin was waiting for us but _AHHH…_ I didn't want to!

"I… Natsu… we… we gotta…," I breathed in between heated kisses and then practically screamed when he rolled one nipple between his fingers. "Stop… _Oh God… _we have to stop!"

Immediately Natsu pulled away, leaving me feeling empty and alone where I stood, my body still leaning heavily against the wall. "I'm sorry," he said and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Don't be sorry," I answered, my lungs struggling for air. "I didn't want to stop either."

His beautiful eyes regarded me from where he stood a few feet away and after several moments the corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. "At least we have tonight."

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter. I felt that this would be a good place to stop though. Plus, I'm struggling to stay awake. Work has been insane lately and I've barely been able to do much more than come home, eat dinner, walk my dogs and go to bed. I hope it doesn't last too much longer but I don't see any end in sight… at least not for a few more weeks. I'll write as much as I can though, bare with me! PLEASE!**

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. I know I've said this before but they really do push me to keep going. Without them I probably wouldn't even update **_**this**_** often. Plus, they crack me up! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Why does everyone call you master?" Natsu asked after we walked through the gate at the front of the town. We'd said good bye to Dustin's grandmother and then headed out, exiting the town while a light flurry started to fall from the sky.

A shadow passed over Dustin's usually bright and cheerful eyes. "My family used to be lord of this town… and still is in a sense although, after my parents died, that was no longer the case since I was so young and couldn't take their place. People still go to my grandmother to seek advice but she's too old and frail to be able to govern the town."

I'd wondered where his parent's were. "I'm so sorry to hear that. How old were you when they died?" I asked, walking beside him with Natsu next to me on the dirt path.

Dustin sighed heavily and looked straight ahead, "I was 13."

"Thirteen? So this happened recently then?"

He shook his head and continued to stare in front of us. "They were killed over six years ago."

Huh? How was that possible? He didn't look much older than 13 _now_… maybe 14 at most.

"You're…" Natsu blurted out loudly and paused to calculate with his fingers, "…seventeen, eighteen, _you're nineteen_ _years old_?!"

Dustin nodded his head and smiled over at us sadly, "The same day my parents died… I stopped aging."

"Stopped aging?!" I exclaimed, confused.

He nodded his head again and kicked a small rock in the pathway, his eyes taking on a far away look. "It was late evening and my grandmother and I had gone out to get turnovers from our favorite bakery…

"_You're filling is dripping," Dustin's grandmother said and she laughed as he tried to lick the sticky sweetness that was oozing out of the crust. "I think you have more on your face than in your mouth."_

_He swallowed the food in his mouth and laughed as well, following the road back towards their house. Suddenly there was a loud bang and both of their eyes went wide in alarm before Dustin dropped his pastry to the ground and took off at a sprint towards his house. As he rounded the bend in the road, the front of the house came in to view and the double doors were thrown wide open, exposing the interior of the house where he could see several people standing with full body armor on. He raced up the front steps, his heart pounding in his chest and ran through the entryway. _

_Standing in a circle in the sitting room was nearly a dozen men dressed in leather armor with weapons in hand. In the middle lay two figures sprawled out face down on the carpeted floor _

"_Mom… Dad!" he screamed and leapt forward, immediately caught up by two of the armored men and restrained. _

"_Dustin!" his grandmother yelled as she entered the house and then her entire body froze when she saw her son and daughter-in-law lying motionless on the floor. _

"_Nooooo!" Her scream echoed across the room and she launched herself at the men holding Dustin. Somehow she managed to get them to let him go just long enough for him to wrench free. "Run!" was all she said before someone grabbed her from behind and knocked her to the ground. _

"_Grandma!" Tears gathered in his eyes, clouding his vision as rage built inside of him. _

"_Bring him to me!" a snake like voice called out and then a hooded figure stepped out of the circle of soldiers. _

_Before he could take a step, Dustin was grabbed from both sides and dragged across the room till he was face to face with the cloaked figure. Two large silver eyes showed through the shadow that the cloak created over the figures face and it blinked slowly before saying, "You must be their son."_

_Dustin stared straight at the figure, his jaw clenched tightly shut while tears continued to streak down his face._

"_Silence… yes, I like silence. Gives me an excuse to punish you," the slimy voice said and he started to pull a glowing blue crystal from within his sleeve but suddenly, blinding light filled the room. Everyone screamed in pain and several people fell to the floor, covering their faces. Dustin stood there, his arm over his eyes and a strange voice started to whisper in his ear in a language he didn't understand. Something tightened almost painfully in his chest and then just as quickly as it had come, the light and the sound vanished._

Dustin sighed and seemed to blink back to the present. "After the burst of light, the cloaked figure left quickly and so did the men. My parents were already dead and Grandma's been in a wheel chair ever since."

I looked over at Dustin's sorrow filled face and struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out from my eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Who was it?" Natsu asked, his face rigid with anger.

"Who was what?" Dustin said, blinking in surprise at Natsu's question and the vehemence behind his words.

"The person in the cloak. Who was it?"

Dustin shoved his hands in his pockets and answered, "I don't know. I was the only one who saw him that day and I didn't ever get a very good look. I have my suspicions though but no one believes me."

"And what's that?" I asked. The path that we were walking on started to grow wider and I could see a clearing up ahead.

"Well, from the stories that I've heard; the man… thing, looked like a Howl but they've been extinct for nearly a century," Dustin answered.

"What's a Howl?" Natsu asked.

"Stories say they are magicians. Not wizards like you guys but creatures who use dark magic to control elements and steal the life force from other living creatures to prolong their lives. They are said to have large glowing eyes and bodies like a dehydrated corpse."

"Ew, sounds horrible," I said and cringed.

"Yea. Fortunately they don't like the sun so day time was generally safe. This is one of the reasons why people don't believe that what I saw was a Howl."

"Ahh, I see," I said, nodding my head.

"We're here," Dustin said as we approached a crossroads.

"Which way should we go?" Natsu asked, looking down both directions.

"Well, south will bring you to the mountains and you've already been there so my best guess is that you should go north."

"Alright," I said and readjusted my bag on my shoulders. "Thank you so much for everything you've done for us."

"Sure, no problem. Just umm, be careful ok?" Dustin said, shuffling his feet nervously with his hands clasped behind his back.

"We will. Maybe we'll see you again some day," I said and smiled warmly at him. "If we ever find Ava again we'll tell her to let you come to Fiore and you can see where we live."

His eyes lit up and then he waved good bye as Natsu and I turned and started heading down the new path.

"He's really nice. I feel so bad for him," I commented when we walked around a bend and lost sight of Dustin. "Hard to believe he's our age."

"I want to find that Howl thing he was talking about," Natsu said and I could still see by the look in his face that he was angry.

It struck me suddenly that we were finally alone and my body reacted simultaneously with the realization, my heartbeat quickening and my skin tingling with warmth even in the cold air. Memories of earlier this morning flooded my mind and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling like a moron.

"I want something to eat," Natsu said and he stepped behind me and started rummaging through my pack as we walked.

"Can you grab me an apple?" I asked and a moment later Natsu held an apple over my shoulder. "Thanks."

We walked quietly for a while, the path getting thinner and thinner the farther we went till suddenly it gave way, a huge crack splitting the ground open and leaving a ravine wider than we could jump across.

"What should we do?" I asked, stepping cautiously to the edge and looking down. The bottom was at least 30 feet deep and it spread out in either direction for as far as I could see.

"Do you think we can climb down?" he asked and I shook my head.

"I don't think so. It's too steep."

"I wish Happy was here," Natsu said and I agreed. His wings would solve our problems quickly.

"Maybe Aries can help us," I said and reached for my keys. A moment later, Aries appeared before us and meekly asked what she could do for us. "We need to get to the other side," I said, pointing across the ravine.

"Yes. Sorry. I will do my best," she said and a burst of pink cotton filled the area, stretching over the crack towards the other side.

"Wahhh! I think it'll work!" Natsu cried out and jumped on the fluffy cloud.

We crawled over, careful not to fall through and made it to the other side. "Thanks Aries!" I said and she vanished with a quick dip of her head before I was able to utter another word.

"It's starting to snow harder," Natsu said and I looked up towards the sky.

"Yea, you're right. I hope it doesn't get too bad,' I answered and stepped beside him to start walking once again. For several minutes we traveled along the road, watching the surroundings till in the distance we could see what looked like a small shack a few dozen yards off the trail.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing ahead and Natsu shook his head.

"I don't know. Let's go look," he answered and we hurried our pace till we came up beside the small hut.

"It's abandoned," I commented as I poked my head around the open doorway. The inside was completely bare, nothing but dirt and hard stone covering the ground with not a bit of furniture. I walked slowly inside, Natsu close behind and then I felt a hand gently grip my waist.

"Abandoned?" Natsu whispered quietly into my ear, his torso pressing slightly against my back. I nodded my head and took a hesitant step forward. "Let's check it out." The hand at my waist slowly slid around my side and his lips brushed against the side of my neck. I sucked in a quivering breath, my senses on high alert.

"Natsu…," I said on a quiet gasp and took another step forward, bringing us to the center of the small room. He moved with me, both of his hands now sitting low over my belly and he started to kiss a path up my neck to my jaw. I arched my neck back and closed my eyes, my body shaking with pent up lust.

Agonizingly slowly his lips moved along my jaw, teasing me with licks of his tongue and tiny nibbles from his teeth. I was panting; desperate for the feel of his mouth on mine till I couldn't take it anymore and I tried to twist in his arms. His hands held me tight, not letting me move and I whimpered in frustration when his fingers slid slowly beneath my shirt and jacket but his mouth moved back to my neck.

He started to suck gently on the sensitive skin below my ear and then his tongue poked out, licking tiny circles while his thumbs repeated the same motion over my belly. I wanted him so badly and I struggled to squirm free, needing to feel his mouth pressed hotly against mine but his hands still held me firmly in place. I reached back, searching for any part of his body that I could find and started to grind against him.

His low groan sent waves of heat tumbling through my body and soon I found myself wantonly moving against him, my head still thrown back while his lips blazed a trail across my heated skin. I could feel his hands moving possessively over my stomach, his fingers splayed out as they inched farther and farther up towards my ribs. His mouth started to suck seductively on my throat and I groaned loudly at the feeling.

My breath hitched when his fingertips brushed against the underside of my breasts and then slowly cupped their fullness above the fabric of my bra. I pressed my chest forward, my eyes still closed as he kneaded the tender mounds. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it pounding in my ears and my chest was heaving fast with heavy intakes of air.

Raising one arm I lifted it over my head and reached back till I found Natsu's spiky hair and sifted my fingers inside. I grabbed the roots firmly and tilted his head, angling my own till I finally was able to seal my mouth over his. He groaned loudly, his kiss immediately becoming frantic and I returned his ardor, licking my tongue inside his mouth while his hands pulled and squeezed my breasts.

"Natsu, please," I pleaded, wanting… needing to feel his body beneath my hands.

Suddenly he twisted me around in his grasp and then lifted me up, walking us across the small space till I was pressed against the wall. My legs wrapped around his waist and his mouth was hungrily moving over mine, making me dizzy and desperate at the same time. His fingers dug into my backside and I grabbed his shoulders, running my hands over his muscular broadness as his tongue stroked erotically inside my mouth.

It felt so good to have his body against mine and I groaned my appreciation when his hips rolled against me, nudging my legs further apart so that he could settle more intimately against my body. I should have been shocked, should have been nervous by the position but I was anything but. Instead it stoked my desire to an even higher level, making me run my hands desperately over his shoulders and down his chest. His skin was smooth and soft, like silk laid over hard muscle and I couldn't get enough of it. I touched him everywhere I could reach, spurred on by his own boldness as one of his hands slid up my back beneath my clothing and the other caressed my backside.

"Lucy, I don't… I can't control myself," he whispered breathlessly before sealing his mouth over mine. His words sent sparks throughout my body and my spine tingled with pleasure. He wanted me, wanted me maybe as badly as I wanted him. How had this happened? When had this happened?

_Oh who the hell cares?! _All I cared about was his burning hot body pressed against mine, making me aware of every hard inch of him. His hands were constantly touching me, sliding over exposed skin or squeezing tender flesh.

"I want you too," I said, my voice coming out thin and needy before I crushed my lips against his.

"Isn't this cute?" a deep voice cut in and Natsu and I instantly pulled our mouths away from each other and turned to look towards where the sound came from.

Standing in the entrance of the small shack stood a man dressed in black leather pants and a black wool tunic, a sword hung from his hips and strange silver amulet dangled around his neck. Behind him and to either side stood two other men dressed in similar garb, also wearing the same amulet.

"Sorry to cut your moment short but the Winter King was wantin' to meet ya," the man said while taking a cocky step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Natsu turned and positioned his body in front of mine, his jaw ticking in anger as he glared at the men. "Who are you?" he asked.

"We're soldiers of the King. We were sent here to bring you back with us," he answered and pulled out his sword slowly, the metal scraping loudly in the small space.

"Well we're not going anywhere," Natsu said, his body rigid.

Slowly I reached down and fingered my keys in anticipation. The cool steel was comforting against my fingers as was the raging heat radiating off of the body that was still standing in front of me.

"Ah, I betcha you will be," the man said and then three more men on top of the two that were originally with him filed into the room.

We stood there, facing off against a half dozen soldiers who were armed and ready to capture us and take us to some evil tyrants' palace. The wall was at my back, Natsu at my front and I could feel Natsu growing more and more tense where my hand rested on the center of his back.

"Restrain them!" the man bellowed and then three of the men stepped forward but before they were able to lay a finger on either of us, flames consumed Natsu's body and the men gasped in shock stepping back and staring at him in awe.

"What the…," the lead man exclaimed and then I called out Taurus, the large bull roaring to life beside Natsu and the men balked at the pair, turning on their heels and sprinting out the door.

We both hurried to the entrance, Taurus behind us and watched them practically trip over themselves to get away. I chuckled as one tripped and fell flat on his face, almost bringing another guy down with him.

"Thanks Taurus," I said and dismissed him. "I didn't know you were that scary," I said to Natsu while we both stepped out to the road.

"I think it was your talking cow that scared them," he answered and we both laughed.

When all the men were gone from sight, Natsu turned and looked at me sheepishly. His hand reached up and he began scratching the back of his head. "I guess we should keep going huh?"

I nodded my head regretfully and followed him. It probably wasn't a good idea to linger around a place we'd just been nearly attacked at.

* * *

Evening was approaching fast, the sun already disappearing behind the mountains in the distance and unbelievably we hadn't come across a single other town along the way.

"We need to find a place to rest tonight," I commented, my body starting to get cold even with the thick coat and pants I was wearing. We'd been walking nearly all day, only stopping the one time and my legs were getting tired as well.

"I don't see anything nearby though," Natsu said and I moved slightly closer to him, trying to absorb any heat radiating from his body.

"I don't either. But we need to find some sort of shelter soon. It's getting dark."

Natsu nodded his head and then turned off the path, walking into the thicker brush of the surrounding forest. The snow crunched beneath our feet, luckily only a few inches deep, and we searched the area for something with at least a little shelter.

"I'm starting to get hungry," Natsu said.

After we walked down a slight hill, we came to a small clearing and on the far side a jagged cliff rose into the sky, reaching at least five hundred feet in the air. We made our way towards it, hoping to find an area where the rock jutted out and provided a little bit of cover.

"Hey, I think I found a spot," Natsu said, jogging along the rocky side and stopping in front of a hollowed out section. "It almost looks like a cave," he commented and then crawled inside on his hands and knees.

I followed him closely, careful not to sit up or I'd hit my head on the low ceiling and then I heard Natsu cry out in excitement.

"Wow! Look at this," he said and stood up on his knees.

I moved beside him and sat up as well. The cave opened up, revealing a decently sized area almost like a room. In the center was a pile of sticks and twigs that looked like they'd been burned at some point but certainly not recently and in the far corner there was a thin layer of straw creating a bed of sorts.

"This is great!" I said and looked up. The ceiling was still low but it was high enough that we were able to kneel comfortably and move around without any problem.

"Let's eat," Natsu said and started tugging the bag off of my back.

"Hold on," I complained, my body yanked backwards as he pulled at the straps over my shoulders. I slid the bag off my back and Natsu quickly opened it, digging inside and pulling out several packages of food which Maered had packed for us.

"Can you start a fire for us?" I asked, taking a seat beside the pile of sticks. Natsu immediately lit it and I leaned forward to absorb some of the heat. "Thanks."

As Natsu passed me some of the food, I looked around the cave and my stomach began to fill with a pleasant warmth that had nothing to do with the fire that was now blazing in front of me. The place was extremely secluded, lending us more than enough privacy and I couldn't help but think about what had happened earlier in the run down hut.

His kisses had been knee weakening in their eroticism, leaving me achy in all the right places. I'd wanted him so badly and all of those feelings came rushing back to me as I gazed around the small area. Outside it was now completely dark, the only light coming from the fire which cast seductive shadows over Natsu's body. His vest top was parted, revealing his toned abs and muscular pecs which seemed even larger than normal in the dull light.

I licked my lips slowly, wishing that I was licking his chest and my eyes slowly moved up to his neck which was wrapped in his scarf. "Natsu?"

His eyes left his food and he turned to look at me. "Yea?"

"Can you take off your scarf?" I asked and then slid my legs beneath me so that I was kneeling on the ground.

He looked at me strangely but then started unraveling the fabric, revealing his neck and the small scar. I watched his throat move as he gulped and I wanted to lean forward and lick the skin there.

"Are you cold?" he asked and held the scarf out for me.

I shook my head, not bothering to speak out loud and continued to admire him.

To be honest, I was actually getting kind of hot… whether from the fire or the desire coursing through me, I didn't know and quite frankly, I didn't care. I reached a hand up and started to unzip my jacket, wanting the heavy fabric off of me and slid it off of my arms till it fell to the floor. His eyes immediately fastened to my breasts which swelled above the neckline of my shirt and I felt a jolt of lust pass through me. I liked it when he looked at me… it made me feel sexy and wanted.

Finally Natsu finished his food and he started to pack up the rest of the stuff he'd taken out. I watched him close the bag back up and then he sat down and leaned back on his outstretched arms. I wanted to crawl over his hard body and lick every inch of him, rub my own body against his and kiss him till we were both dizzy with desire.

I could hear my own breathing quickening just from my thoughts and a strange pulsing began to throb between my legs. I pressed my thighs together, hoping to ease some of the ache but all it did was enhance the feelings.

"Hey Lucy?" Natsu said, his voice coming out a bit husky.

"Yea?" I answered.

"Can you take off your pants?"

To be continued…

* * *

**So, after last weeks chapter I'm thinking maybe Natsu **_**would**_** be as bold as I'm making him out to be in this story. I'm still squealing like a lil girl over that chapter. It was so AMAZING! Mashima must definitely be a boob guy lol. **

**Thanks again for the reviews, follows and favorites! They fill me with so much joy!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you everyone for your support!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Wh… what? Why?" I muttered, my eyes going wide in surprise.

"Well… it's weird," Natsu said and when I wrinkled my eyebrows at him like I had no idea what he meant he continued. "I've never seen you in pants. Usually you're wearing a skirt or shorts."

I stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck by what he'd just said and then burst out laughing. "You want me to take my pants off because it looks weird?"

He nodded his head and then said, "Other reasons too."

Heat instantaneously flooded my cheeks and a strange feeling passed through my body. "What other reasons?" I questioned further.

"Well," he said and then scratched the back of his head nervously. "I was hoping…"

"Hoping for what?" I pushed when he paused, the air stagnant in my lungs as I waited for his answer.

"I was hoping that… Well, we're alone and…"

I didn't let him finish what he was going to say, launching myself across the space that separated us and tackling him to the floor. Unfortunately I did a poor job of it, knocking foreheads with him in the process and causing us both to grunt and grab our heads in pain.

"Oww!" Natsu hollered and I sat back on his hips, straddling him as I winced nervously down at him.

"Sorry," I said and he slowly smiled at me. I smiled back and dropped my hands to his stomach to steady myself. _Hmm… this was quite a nice position._ I started to slowly slide my hands up and down his stomach over his shirt and then said, "What were you saying?"

He looked at me questioningly and then I pressed further. "Before I banged your head, what were you going to say?"

"Oh," he said sheepishly and turned his head to the side to look away from me. I continued to absentmindedly rub my hands over his belly… well, I at least _pretended_ that I wasn't paying attention to my hands but in reality I was loving every second of touching him, caressing his hard stomach and tracing the ridges of muscle. "Well… we were interrupted in the shack and…" my hands slid beneath his shirt and he stopped speaking as a loud hiss slipped through his teeth.

"In the shack and… what Natsu?" I asked teasingly, loving the way his face was turning the same color of his hair. My hands enjoyed him everywhere, skimming across his stomach to his sides then up to his chest. I loved the way his body angled as I slid up him, his chest and shoulders so much broader than his hips.

"Lucy," he said and then reached up, grabbing the front of my shirt and yanking me down till my mouth crushed over his. I moaned deep in my throat, at once turned on by his ferocity and answered back, capturing his tongue between my lips and sucking greedily. His arms wrapped around my body, one settling low on my back while the other gripped the back of my head, his fingers sifting through my hair.

"Natsu!" I breathed as I pulled my mouth away, staring down at him as my chest heaved rapidly between our bodies. His hand slid up the back of my shirt and then he tightened his hold with the other and pulled my mouth back on top of his. Our tongues battled, desire blossoming thick and hot inside my body and his touch turned desperate, slipping greedily up and down my back before tugging my shirt over my head and tossing it to the floor beside us.

"I want you… FUCK I want you so bad!" Natsu rasped and fumbled with the clasp of my bra. The fabric fell apart and he quickly pulled the straps over my shoulders and off of my body. "Mmm…" he said and then reached up and cupped the tender fullness in his hands.

Any playfulness that I'd felt vanished immediately and I pressed myself closer, needing the feel of his hands gently squeezing my breasts. His thumbs began to brush over my nipples, teasing them into tight peaks that with every flick made me gasp and moan. At the same time I was hovering with my mouth just barely above his, his lips and tongue occasionally moving up to suck at my bottom lip or slide wetly across the seem.

I started to move down his body, kissing and licking my way across his neck and then over his collarbone. His skin was warm and smooth and I loved how he sucked in a quick breath every time I stroked my tongue over him. He was so sensitive and didn't hold back his reactions at all, encouraging me to be bolder. My hands glided with me, caressing every inch of his perfect body and a frenzy started to build inside me. He was _so sexy_ and I wanted him badly, so badly that I started to throb between my legs.

I caught a nipple between my lips and lightly licked the tiny nub. Natsu gasped and then moaned and I looked up this time while I did it again.

His reaction was the same and it was such a huge turn on that I moaned myself.

"Lucy, come here," Natsu demanded and started tugging me up from beneath my arms. I slid up his body and instantly his mouth claimed mine. A growl reverberated in his throat and his hands started to move all over my body, touching me wherever they could reach and I couldn't control the way my body moved over him, wiggling and squirming with every caress to try to prolong the contact.

I wanted something… what, I didn't know. All I knew was my body was desperate for his and it seemed like he felt the same way. He sat up, pushing me up with him so that I was sitting on top of him, still straddling his hips and our chests press tightly together. Our lips were locked and we were both taking gasping breaths whenever we parted for a brief second. I could feel something hard between my thighs and I rolled my hips against it, wantonly grinding my body over his and he wrenched his mouth from mine, throwing his head back as he cursed and then called out my name.

I loved this. I loved the way I could make him go crazy with just a movement of my body.

His hands slid down my back to my rear, grabbing my cheeks and squeezing as I continued to undulate over him. His eyes were wild, his lips slightly parted and quivering with every breath he took. I leaned forward and sucked his bottom lip into my mouth and before I knew it, he was lifting me up and laying me out on the hard floor. His body immediately moved over mine, his mouth hungrily searching out my own as he pressed his hips between my willingly spread thighs.

"You're driving me crazy!" he rasped and dipped his head down, sucking my nipple into his mouth and sucking wetly on the sensitive nub.

"Natsu!" I screamed, threading my fingers into his pink hair and pressing his head closer to my breast. The feeling was incredible, tiny sparks shooting throughout my body, originating at my nipple whenever his tongue flicked out and caressed me.

His hands reached down, sliding down my body till they found the top of my pants. He quickly undid the button in the front and then started to tug. The fabric caught at my hips and I could feel his frustration in his jerky movements.

"I knew you should have taken your pants off earlier," he said and even through the fog of lust that was enveloping me I still giggled at his remark. He was kneeling between my slightly bent legs now and I lifted my hips to help him pull the constricting fabric down. Finally he managed to yank them free and with one swift tug they slid off my body.

The only thing I had on now was my black panties which did little to cover anything but I felt no embarrassment as I watched Natsu's face take in the sight of me. His eyes roved over my nearly naked form, pausing at my chest and then again at my hips.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe I'm finally seeing you like this," he said and continued to stare down at me.

After several moments I started to get a little uncomfortable, hating being the only one in this state of undress. "Natsu… this isn't fair."

His eyes shot up to mine. "What do you mean?" he asked, clearly concerned.

"I want to see you too," I said and I could see understanding dawn on his expressive face. His hands quickly reached up and he slid his shirt off of his shoulders, the material falling to the floor behind him and then his fingers moved to the fastenings of his pants. "Wait!" I cried out and sat up. "I want to do that." He looked at me in surprise and then slowly his hands dropped from his pants.

I slid my legs beneath me till we were both kneeling; facing each other and I reached my hands out, grasping the buckle of his belt. His stomach was tensing and flexing with each breath, both of our eyes locked on my fingers as they slowly undid the latch and then slid the leather through the buckle. I peaked up at him briefly, nervously biting my lower lip and gasped quietly at the look on his face. He was nervous as well, his eyes slightly weary but there was also lust, so much lust that his eyes had darkened to the point of almost being large black dots.

My fingers fumbled slightly with the button on his pants but then pushed the tiny metal piece through the hole. I gulped the large lump that had formed in my throat and then grasped the zipper. I looked at him once again, my body trembling slightly and then slowly slid the zipper down. His pants were so loose that the fabric immediately fell down and pooled on the floor around his knees. He slid each leg out and then straightened back up till he was once again facing me, both of us kneeling.

Now we were equally clad, both only wearing our underwear and I let my eyes take in its fill of his body. His boxer shorts rode low on his hips and the front was tented enticingly. Tentatively I reached my hand out, hesitating briefly to look up in his face before I touched the tips of two fingers to the obvious bulge in his shorts.

Natsu hissed as he sucked in a quick breath and then my fingers slowly slid over the aroused area. He was unbelievably hard and I was surprised by how turned on I was by touching him like this. I wrapped my fingers around his length through his boxer shorts and gently ran my hand up and down, experimenting with the feel of him.

"Oh God, Lucy…," Natsu moaned and slightly thrust his hips forward. My grip tightened a small bit and a shiver of desire raced through my body. It was incredible holding him like this and I was amazed by the sheer size of him. I hadn't imagined it would be this large.

I explored at will, tracing along the length with the tips of my fingers and then circling the head. I could feel him growing even harder and then suddenly he grabbed the back of my head with his hand and pulled my face to his for a searing kiss. His tongue was hot and aggressive, stroking boldly over mine and I continued to caress his erection through his shorts. One of his hands moved up to my breasts and he started rolling my nipple between his fingers, making me cry out into his mouth.

I gripped him tighter, tugging on his length from base to tip… wanting more. I could feel the hard ridges beneath the fabric and I wanted to run my fingers over them, feel his skin against my fingers. My hand lifted and then pressed palm flat against his belly just above his boxers. The tips of my fingers slid slowly beneath the waistband and then brushed against a small tuft of coarse hair. I continued south, my mouth still heatedly slanting over his and then found him. I nearly fainted at the intense feelings tumbling throughout my body. He was hot and hard, his skin soft like velvet. My fingers wrapped around him and I was once again awed by the size of it. He was thick and throbbing, daring me to touch him more and I did… sliding my hand up his entire length all the way to the tip.

Natsu ground his teeth and cried out, his hips flexing as he thrust into my hand. _The motion was so sexy_. I could feel warm liquid dripping down the inside of my legs and I throbbed, ready and waiting for him.

My hand slowly stroked up and down his cock, tugging slightly and then my thumb circled the tip. With my other hand I began pulling at his boxers, wanting them gone and managed to slide them down to his knees.

"Oh fuck… you gotta stop!" Natsu cried out and sat back on his heals, pulling his erection away from my hands. I followed him, unwilling to relinquish my claim and continued to stroke him. "Lucy, please!" he begged and placed a hand to my hip, his fingers digging into my skin.

"Please what?" I asked, leaning forward and brushing my lips against his. His entire body was shaking, his eyes barely slit open.

"I can't… I'm gonna come if you don't stop," he said and started to shuffle backwards on his knees. I followed him again, not letting go of his cock which was still pulsing hotly in my hand. He moved all the way to the rock wall and then looked at me as if he was in pain. "Lucy… it's too much," he said and just as I was about to relent, a small drop of clear liquid oozed out of the tip. I leaned forward, fascinated and rubbed the liquid around the head of his arousal. His hips flexed, begging for more despite his protests and I gripped him around his base.

Slowly I lowered my head, steadying myself with my other hand which was grabbing the top of his thigh. My lips pressed against the tip and I leisurely licked the tiny crevice where the moisture had seeped from.

"Shit! Oh God!" Natsu cried out and rolled his head back against the wall.

My lips wrapped around the head of his cock, my tongue licking the tip and then I started to suck slightly. He tasted so good, sliding further into my mouth and then I pulled away. I moved both of my hands to his sides and leaned forward again, licking him into my mouth and then sucking him down.

"Ahh!" he screamed and bucked his hips, sliding further inside till I could feel him hit the back of my throat. My hands gripped his body tightly and I adjusted my legs beneath me, spreading them wider so that I could easily lower myself. I slid back up his length, my tongue licking him along the way and then repeated the motion.

Natsu's hands moved to my back and rubbed up and down, caressing me absently as I continued to suck on him.

"Lucy, I'm about to come," he said huskily and then his hips really started to move, thrusting boldly into my mouth as one of his hands gently grabbed the back of my head. "Oh… oh shit…" he moaned and I sucked him hard, pulling as much of him into my mouth as I could till he was almost sliding down my throat.

My panties were soaked, liquid desire coating the inside of my thighs and I moaned as I moved up and down, up and down… up and down his thick length till suddenly he gripped me tightly and screamed.

"Lucy!" he yelled and hot, salty liquid spilled into my mouth. I cringed slightly, the taste surprising and then swallowed, sucking one last time before releasing him and sitting back.

His head was slumped forward, several strands of hair falling over his brow and his chest rose and fell rapidly. After several seconds he lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes hooded and then he reached a hand up and pulled me towards him. His mouth hovered close to mine, his breath whispering against my lips and then he kissed me softly, stoking the burning desire within me that hadn't yet been sated. His lips were sweet… too sweet. I wanted frenzied passion and rough embraces. My body ached with need, my blood pumping hot and fast within me.

Natsu responded, his kiss becoming more demanding, his tongue delving deliciously into my mouth. His hands grabbed me, one arm banding across my back while the other lifted me, holding me underneath my thighs. He laid me out on the hard ground, moving over me and kissing me passionately. I arched into him, wanting to feel his body against mine and he sunk into me, his hips pressing against mine and making me gasp in shock. He was still semi-hard, rubbing against the thin fabric covering my private area.

"Natsu," I said and ran my hands over his shoulders and down his back. His body was coated in a thin sheen of sweat and he glided over me, kissing along my throat and then to my extremely sensitive nipples. My body started to move against him, wantonly grinding over his ever growing erection. I wanted to reach my hand down and search between our bodies for it, grasp his thick length once again in my hand and relish in the power I had felt just moments ago… but he wouldn't let me, jerking his hips away whenever I reached out.

His lips sucked greedily on my nipples, tugging on them and making me writhe in ecstasy. I felt his hand on my stomach, sliding slowly down over my belly till the tips of his fingers ran into the top of my panties. My hips eagerly lifted up, unabashed desire driving me to points I'd never dreamed. There wasn't an ounce of trepidation or embarrassment left in me, only carnal longing that was crying out for more. His hand glided over the top of the fabric, skimming across the lace panties till he encountered my nether lips which were so wet that the material was soaked.

"Holy shit!" Natsu rasped and one of his fingers started sliding up and down the moist slit, teasing me through the thin fabric. "You're so wet," he commented and I could tell from the tone of his voice that he was incredibly turned on. My hips rolled against his hand, wanting more… yearning for more. His mouth moved to my other breast, re-creating the same torture on that one as he'd done to the other side and then his fingers slid beneath my panties to stroke over my saturated folds.

I cried out, the pleasure he was creating with his mouth sending sparks to the place his fingers were teasing. "You're so incredible!" Natsu said and then he straightened up abruptly, kneeling between my spread legs and started tugging at my panties. I lifted one leg as he pulled the fabric down and then lifted the other to help him take them completely off.

He stared down at me, his eyes wide and appreciating. The juncture of my legs throbbed for attention, wanting his fingers to caress me once again and after several moments I started lifting my hips, clearly displaying my desire for him. His hand reached out, gently brushing over the sensitive area and then the tip of one finger delved between my lips. Air caught in my lungs, my body tense… and then his finger slid over my clit.

I screamed… and then he did it again.

"You like this?" he asked and the only reply I managed was a quick nod of my head before intense pleasure streaked through my body once again as his finger rubbed over the tiny nub. My eyes were rolling to the back of my head and I was completely lost to the feelings overtaking me… so lost that I didn't notice Natsu's head dipping down till suddenly his mouth covered my cleft and began sucking on the tender flesh.

"Oh God… Oh God!" I yelled, over and over again and when his tongue began to slowly lick over my clit I reached my hand down and grabbed his hair. His tongue was devastating, stroking over the sensitive bundle of nerves like I was the sweetest of desserts and then his warm, soft lips started to suck on it… surrounding my clit with the most exquisite pleasure I'd ever experienced.

Slowly my body started to climb, reaching for something I vaguely recognized but that barely resembled the same thing. With every lick and every gentle suck he pushed me onward, driving me towards the edge till I was so close… so unbelievably close. My chest rose and fell rapidly with my heavy breaths, my one hand gripping the strands of his slightly sweat dampened hair while the other pressed fruitlessly onto the floor. The pleasure mounted, cresting at the precipice and then one of his fingers prodded my wet entrance and slid inside. My world exploded, colors erupting in front of my eyes. It felt as if my body shattered into a million tiny pieces. Waves of spasms tumbled through my body so intensely that I shook with the effort, mumbling incoherent words while my hips lifted time and time again off of the ground.

I don't know if I yanked him up to me or if he moved on his own but before I knew it, Natsu's mouth was covering mine, his tongue thrusting wildly into my mouth. Our slick bodies rubbed together, my legs parting instinctively to allow him to settle between my thighs. I could feel his cock lying heavily against the saturated folds of my cleft and I wanted to feel him inside, wanted to feel his long and thick length thrusting wildly within my willing body. He angled his hips, positioning the head of his erection at my dripping entrance and then… to my utter devastation, he stopped.

"Natsu?" I rasped breathlessly, desperate for the joining of our bodies.

"We… we can't," he mumbled and buried his head against my neck.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on taking deep breaths. _We can't… he'd said we can't._ My mind couldn't wrap itself around his words, lust still the driving force of my thoughts.

"I want you so badly it hurts," he said and I could still feel his rock hard arousal between my legs.

"I want you too," I answered, still not understanding why he'd stopped.

My breathing finally slowed, at least somewhat and a sliver of rational thinking returned to me.

"Condom…" I finally murmured more to myself than to him but he nodded against my neck and then lifted his head to look down at me.

"I'm sorry," he said and I couldn't help but smile up at him. He was simply adorable.

"It's ok. This was amazing," I said and then he smiled back at me.

"Yea," he answered and then chuckled painfully. "And if I don't get away from you soon this is never going to go away." His head indicated the throbbing hard-on that was poking at the inside of my thigh and then he rolled away till he was no longer touching me.

I missed his body, my skin practically screaming in agony. If I wasn't allowed to touch him… this was going to be a _long_ night.

To be continued…

* * *

**I think Lucy is going to kill me.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok, so yea… apparently it wasn't just Lucy I needed to watch out for. I'm on lots of people's hit lists now I guess. SORRY! But seriously, we are Fairy Tail followers/ lovers. Mashima is the KING of cliffhangers and trolling. I blame him for this (err… the last chapter). He's a bad influence on me.**

* * *

**Chapter 10.5**

'_Fuck! It just won't go down!' I screamed inside my head. I was curled up behind Lucy, my body pressing against her back because I simply couldn't NOT be. The lure of her body was too strong, making it impossible to stay away. _

_I wanted her so badly… which was clearly evident by the raging hard-on that I still sported beneath my shorts. _

_My mind floated back to the moment of her climax. She'd been so incredible to watch with her head thrown back, her breasts rising erotically and her skin glowing with a thin sheen of sweat. But that wasn't what had entranced me the most… what had really gotten to me was the words she'd spoken. Tumbling out of her mouth at the moment of her orgasm, amongst many other half garbled exclamations, she'd said three words that had jolted me to the core, "I'm… yours… forever."_

_My gut had twisted at her words, a strange feeling of warmth flooding my already heated blood. I couldn't believe how much I'd enjoyed hearing her say that. _She's mine… forever._ And I would never… EVER, let her go._

_In a sense though, it was strange. I hadn't really needed words like that to know that she'd be a part of my life for a very long time. Whenever I thought of the future, even before these new feelings had developed, Lucy was there. I couldn't imagine a future where she wasn't a part of it. Just the very thought of her not being around made my gut twist sourly. She was a given in my life… a constant support and companion._

_I adjusted my body behind her, trying to find a more comfortable position that might help to relieve the rock hard erection which STILL thrusted demandingly towards Lucy's hips. It didn't help though… nothing seemed to work. Even when I could hear her drifting off to sleep it wouldn't go down. _

_With painful care I lifted my arms from her body and rolled to my back. Even covered by the heavy blanket I could see the evidence of my arousal standing proudly. Lucy groaned beside me, clearly upset at being left alone but I needed to get away from her tempting body… just for a few minutes. _

_I concentrated on my breathing, taking steady breaths and staring up at the cavernous ceiling which was dark and barely illuminated by the small stream of moonlight coming inside. It was starting to work, my erection taming down somewhat but then I heard Lucy groan once again and this time she shivered as well. _

_Instantly I was behind her again, wrapping my arms around her luscious body and pressing my chest tightly against her back. She sighed contentedly and wiggled closer to me. _

_Perfection… the feel of her in my arms was absolute perfection. But sure enough, not a minute later my eager erection sprang back to life and I groaned in defeat. _

_I better just get used to it._

* * *

**Chapter 11**

I wiggled backwards and snuggled into the encompassing warmth that was wrapped around my body. A steady rhythm of light breathing whispered near my ear and an overwhelming sense of comfort and security glowed warmly in my belly. I was in heaven… quite simply put.

"Lucy?" Natsu's husky voice whispered behind me.

My body instantly reacted, heat traveling through my veins. "Good morning," I said and then groaned when his face nuzzled into the back of my neck.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked and placed a kiss to my shoulder.

"Yea. Did you?"

He nodded his head and then one of his hands moved to cup my left breast. Neither of us had bothered putting on more than a pair of shorts before we'd gone to sleep so now his fingers caressed naked flesh. He teased my nipple, plucking the tiny bud and then his mouth started kissing and sucking on my neck. I arched into his hand, my backside pressing tightly against his hips.

"Natsu…" I breathed, turning my face so that I could capture his lips with my own. My body rolled in his arms till I was lying on my back beside him, him still on his side. Our mouths were passionately connected, both of us groaning wantonly. Everything I'd felt the previous night returned with renewed energy and I reached my hand up to pull him down over me.

Unfortunately, as soon as his hips settled against my groin I suddenly remembered why we'd never _finished_ last night, and I groaned loudly in frustration as I pulled my mouth away from his.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I threw my arm dramatically over my eyes and frowned. "We can't do anything."

He growled deep in his throat and I felt his forehead fall to press against mine. "Shit," he said simply and we laid there for several minutes, neither wanting to move away till finally Natsu sat up and started yanking clothes out of his bag.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting up and covering my chest with my arms… trying in vane to keep some semblance of modesty.

I watched him yank his pants on quickly and then shrug into his vest. "The faster we finish this quest thing, the faster we can go home," he said and then grabbed my bag.

I giggled when he threw the pack on the ground next to me and then started pulling out some clothes for me to wear. I changed, not quite as quickly as he had but soon I was dressed and ready to go. Natsu had rolled our beds up while I'd gotten dressed so we headed out as soon as I was done, crawling through the entrance of the cave and walking back out into the open field.

"Do you remember how to get back to the path?" I asked Natsu as I pulled the pack on to my back.

"Yea, I think so," he answered, shielding his eyes as he looked around the snow covered field which reflected the rising sun, nearly blinding us. Vaguely we were able to see our old tracks from yesterday and we started following them back towards the woods. We reached the edge of the field and I slipped on a flat rock which was covered by a thin layer of snow. Thankfully Natsu turned and caught my arm before I fell to the ground and I smiled up at him as I steadied myself.

"Thanks," I said, reluctant to let go of his hand.

"Su… Hey, what's that?" Natsu said, pointing to a something behind me.

I turned around and looked at the field behind us. "What's what?"

"Look at the cliff. Doesn't it look like a turtle shell?" he said and I squinted my eyes.

The cliff rose up behind us and in the darkness last night it had been too difficult to see the trees at the top that made a perfect arch which looked like the profile of a turtle shell. There was also a small section that jutted out of the left side which looked like a head poking out of the shell. "You're right!" I said excitedly and pulled my bag off of my back.

"Good idea. I'm hungry too," Natsu said and reached for his own bag.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "I'm not getting food. I'm trying to find the book. We're supposed to find the dripping turtle remember?"

His eyes opened wide and then he exclaimed, "Oh yea! You think that's it?"

I nodded my head and pulled out the book. "I hope so." I flipped through the pages till I came to the part the old lady had revealed to us.

_Follow the broken path to the _

_dripping turtle. The crack in the shell _

_will point you in the right direction._

"Dripping… I wonder what that means," I said and started to scan the sides of the cliff. We both turned back around and started walking towards it, our feet crunching through the few inches of snow on the ground.

"That kind of looks like dripping, doesn't it?" Natsu said, pointing towards the area that looked like a turtles head. I could barely make out what looked like icicles hanging from the edge of the cliff beneath the canopy of trees and I nodded my head enthusiastically.

"Yes! This has to be it!" I said and began running towards the far side of the mountain. I could hear Natsu running behind me and we both stopped near the rocky wall.

"We need to find some kind of crack now?" Natsu asked as we both stared up.

I turned to him and folded my arms over my chest. "I guess so. But how are we going to get up there?"

"Maybe it's not as steep on the other side," he answered and started walking along the edge. I followed him and as we circled the rocky cliff side, we found that it actually did have a more gradual climb upwards and we made our way there. Well… maybe a gradual climb wasn't the right word; more like a possible way to go up as apposed to the complete dead end on the other side. Looking at it, we'd still have to shimmy up several rather steep rocky slopes and scramble over tons of boulders but it was do-able. The snow made it even more difficult but luckily most of it had fallen through the cracks and the sun had dried whatever wetness was left behind.

"Did you hear that?" Natsu asked, stopping abruptly in front of me. I had to put my hands up to keep myself from slamming into him and I rested them on his shoulder blades as I stood silently to listen.

After several seconds where all I heard were the normal sounds of nature around us I asked him in a whisper, "What did you hear?"

"I'm not sure. It kind of sounded like a dog or a wolf or something. But it was different," he answered and then cocked his head to the side. "Oh well. Whatever it was, it was far away. Let's keep going."

I nodded my head and wearily said ok. We began the long journey up the side of the rocky incline, Natsu staying mostly ahead of me and reaching back occasionally to help me up particularly steep slopes but at the very top we ran into a section that was completely straight up and down with no foot or hand holds, just smooth rock. The climb was a good nine of ten feet so even jumping was out of the question.

"How are we going to get up that?" I asked, shielding my eyes as I looked up at the smooth rock.

"What if I lifted you up? Do you think you could reach?" he asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I guess we can try."

He cupped his hands in front of his body and then bent low. I placed one of my feet in his hands and then reached up as he lifted me off of the ground. I was so close, my fingers just inches from the edge and with one last shove Natsu propelled me up till I was able to grab a hold of the hard surface.

"I got it!" I exclaimed and then felt Natsu grab both of my feet and push me up farther. I struggled to pull myself up and over the ledge and then finally got both feet up to the top.

Immediately I turned around and laid my body flat on the ground so that my head, neck and chest dangled over the side and then reached an arm out. "Here, can you reach?" I asked.

Natsu lifted his arm and missed my hand by at least a foot then tried to jump. After several attempts, I was finally able to grab a hold of his arm and then I struggled to pull him up till he could grab a hold of the ledge and lift himself over.

"Ugh! I need a break," I said and laid back over the cold snow covered ground, several feet from the edge. Natsu joined me, sitting down beside me and started rummaging through his bag for food.

"How the heck is a crack going to tell us which way to go from here?" Natsu asked after taking a large bite out of a bright red apple.

"I don't know. Hopefully there will be some sort of sign or something," I said and sat up. "Can I have a bite?"

Natsu eyed the fruit for a moment before he held it out for me and I leaned forward to take a bite while he still held it.

"Thanks," I said and half smiled.

He watched me as I chewed, his eyes focused on my lips and I nervously wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Slowly I gulped down the food and then stiffened when Natsu leaned over and kissed me. His eyes were closed, his lips soft and gentle as they moved over mine and then he shifted his body closer to mine so that he was sitting directly beside me, his body turned towards me. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between my lips and I groaned at the feeling, heat immediately coursing through my veins.

When he pulled back, I looked up at him, my eyes lustfully hazy. He was so sinfully gorgeous, several pink strands of hair falling over his forehead and his signature grin spreading across his face. I wanted to grab him and pull his mouth back down to mine, thrust my tongue into his wickedly hot mouth and slide my body over his. But, as I reached out for him, his face suddenly went serious and he quickly turned his head to the side.

"Natsu?" I questioned, slightly worried at his expression.

"Shhh," he said and covered his mouth with his finger. I listened carefully, trying to pick up whatever noise he'd heard and then, just as I was about to turn the other way, a loud hiss sounded not ten feet away. I turned my head quickly, looking for whatever it was that had caused the noise and vaguely made out a shadow sliding over the ground.

"Natsu!" I exclaimed, jumping up. He was already looking in the same direction I was and then, out of the bushes came a hooded figure, the fabric a strange metallic color that seemed to be constantly changing, shifting from an almost silver color to liquid black.

Natsu pressed an arm to my stomach and stepped forward, semi-blocking me from the figure. "Who are you?" he asked, his body tense.

A shallow breathy sound swirled around us and then, in a toe curling hiss the cloaked figure stepped forward and said, "Who I am is no concern of yours. I answer only to the King."

I grabbed the back of Natsu's shirt, clutching the fabric in my hands as the figure approached. There was something eerily frightening about it; the cloak completely shielding any view of its face and body.

"I've been searching for you. You're friend didn't make my job easy like I'd hoped... at least, not until the King got a hold of him," the figure said and started to cackle and cough, laughing at its own remark.

"What friend?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"You'll see soon enough," it answered and then raised its cloaked arms up towards the sky.

Natsu jumped forward and plowed his shoulder into the gut of the figure, knocking it back into a nearby tree which cracked and groaned from the hit. An angry gurgle left its mouth and then it straightened up slowly, raising its head to look at Natsu.

Two silver orbs shined towards us beneath the hood of the cloak and I gasped at the sight, immediately remembering Dustins story of the Howl. Its arms shot up and a dark cloud started to swirl between its outstretched boney hands.

Natsu attacked the creature, his own hands becoming torches of fire as he swung at the things face and connected, sending the thing flying through underbrush and low hanging branches. With a loud crack, the figure slammed against a tree trunk, his head smashing loudly backwards. The dark body slumped forward and then slid to the ground in a lifeless heap, the cloak billowing out around it.

"Is it…," I began to say as I took a tentative step forward and then the snow surrounding the creature began to change color, inky blackness leaking out and staining the whiteness. "What is that?!" I hollered, watching the blackness spread farther and farther outward till the cloak slowly started to move, the figure straightening up till it was fully standing once again.

"You can't kill me," the thing said and steadily walked towards us, jerking its head to the side with a loud crack as if putting it back into place.

I reached for my keys at my hip but stopped before I called out for anyone, my attention diverted by a ray of sun that hit the cloak on the Howl. The area instantly turned bright silver, reflecting the light away from it and the creature turned away slightly and moved towards Natsu.

"I don't want to kill you," Natsu said. "I just need to beat you."

He reared back, his chest expanding and then he released a burning stream of flames, knocking the Howl back and making it scream in pain. It fell to the ground again but this time Natsu didn't wait for it to stand up before launching his next attack, jumping on the slumped figure and punching it with burning fists.

A black fog started to rise from the figure and roll across the ground, circling a nearby tree and I cried out for Natsu.

"Watch out!" I hollered and Natsu jumped back, moving beside me as we watched the cloud envelope the large tree. The trunk started to change color, turning a sickening grey color and then shriveled up before crumbling to dust and flying away with a gust of wind.

The Howl stood up and screamed, the sound echoing throughout the area and piercing our ears. Natsu and I fell to the ground holding our ears as the vibrations rippled painfully down our bodies. When the sound finally relented, I reached for my keys and called out for Virgo.

She appeared a second later, head bowed as she awaited my orders and I watched as Natsu sprinted towards the Howl, fists raised. The monster took the attacks, screaming with pain every time it was hit but nothing seemed to be able to put it down.

Another dark cloud started to enfold its body and I quickly whispered a plan into Virgo's ear then watched as she disappeared beneath the ground. Natsu kicked the Howl into the air and when it landed several feet away, Virgo popped out of the ground and grabbed the metallic fabric from its body. The material slipped away, falling to the ground and I nearly retched at the sight.

The creature was ghostly pail, its bones clearly defined beneath the nearly translucent skin. Its back was hunched over monstrously and protruding from its shoulder blades was two bone like spikes, the skin surrounding them an infected pink color. The thin legs were more like birds legs rather than humans with the knees bending the opposite direction and as soon as the sun struck the creatures body it howled in pain and dropped to the ground.

All three of us fell to the ground as well, clutching our ears as the sound tore through our bodies. Natsu looked back at me, his face contorted in agony much like mine probably was and then he stood up and walked towards the writhing figure. He straightened his shoulders, his face determined and then sent a blasting wave of fire at the crumpled body.

The Howls flesh ignited, flames flying high and the sound died away as flakes of ash floated away, picked up by the wind which carried it over the side of the cliff.

I breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, saying thanks to Virgo before she disappeared and then walked over to Natsu who still stood staring at the burning embers.

"Are you ok?" I asked, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He nodded his head and slowly turned his head to look at me. "Do you think that's the same thing that killed Dustin's parents?" he asked.

"I'm not sure but yea, I think it was," I answered. "And I think the King might have Dustin now... because of us."

Natsu turned towards me and pulled me against him, his arms tightly wrapping around my back. I rested my head against his chest and nuzzled contentedly against him, my thoughts straying to the boy who'd become our friend.

"What's all the racket!?" a voice hollered and a slumped figure approached us through the underbrush, draped in a heather grey cloak.

Natsu and I both stiffened, our bodies instantly reacting and preparing for battle.

"Whoa there… lil' high strung aren't ya?" the figure said and then pulled the hood off of his head. We both visibly relaxed and I heard Natsu sigh in relief as the cloak revealed an older man with thinning grey hair and dark eyes. In one of his hands he held a wooden cane which was bent and twisted like a gnarled root and in the other he held an old book with its edges worn and warped.

"Sorry. We though you were…"

"A Howl? Yes well, I can understand the mistake but I don't think I'm quite _that_ ugly yet," he said and laughed at himself. "You two are mages?"

"Uh, yea," I answered, unsure whether it was safe to say that but figuring it was pretty obvious considering the damage surrounding us.

"Well, you just killed a Howl so of course you are. What are you doing around here?" the man asked and then smacked his forehead. "Ack! Sorry. I never introduced myself. I'm Rorke," he said.

"I'm Lucy and this is Natsu. We're actually here looking for something," I said and decided I might as well ask him. "Do you happen to know of any crack on this mountain?

The man scrunched his wrinkly face as he thought about it and then said, "Well, there's one but it's my home. Why?" he asked.

"Well," I began and reached for the book from my bag and then held it out to him. "We've been given a quest and we're trying to find the crack in the shell. We assumed that this was the dripping turtle since it looked like one from farther off."

He took the book and grinned while he shook his head. "Ahh that Ava… what is she up to this time?"

To be continued…

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**I need to quit my job so I can write more. I _so_ wanted to do a Gruvia oneshot after last weeks chapter but no time :(  
**

**Thanks again everyone for supporting me! Oh and to all you artists... get crankin' on some NaLu sexiness! I'm dying for some naughty NaLu!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Eeeks! OVA5 was like the BEST birthday present. If only there had been some NaLu... oh well. Still loved it! Hooray for Gajeel/ Levy and Jellal/ Erza! The Gray/ Lyon and Juvia was great too of course :)  
**

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**Chapter 12**

"You know her?" I exclaimed as Rorke, the older man, flipped through the pages of the book.

"Who… Ava? Yes, of course I know her. She's my sister," he answered and both Natsu and I stared at him with wide eyes. "_Older _sister I should add."

"Then, you can get us back… right?" Natsu asked and at that moment a huge crack of thunder echoed around the area, startling all of us. I looked up at the sky and dark clouds were closing in rapidly, seeming to be blowing from all directions.

"What in blazes?" Rorke said, staring up at the sky as well.

"That's weird. How can there be a storm when it's so cold outside?" I commented and then snow started to fall… heavily.

"It's the Winter King. Come… hurry!" the old man said and waved for us to follow him.

Natsu grabbed my hand and tugged me behind him as we walked quickly through the dense trees. The wind was picking up fast, blowing the rapidly falling snow in our faces and I had to squint to see ahead of me.

A flash of light followed by a loud bang of thunder made me cringe and grip Natsu's hand tightly. "Was that lightning?" I yelled, trying to be heard over the harsh wind.

"This is no normal storm. The Winter King created this one. He must know that you killed that Howl," Rorke hollered and then pointed at something on the ground. "Here, step down this way!"

Beneath him, the ground opened up and created a narrow ramp of sorts that led between two giant slabs of rock. Natsu and I followed him down, the path slick with an increasingly thick layer of snow coating it and then the path turned into large steps which curved into a large hollowed out room.

Rorke slid a thick piece of wood across the open space behind us as soon as we stepped inside the room and the wind was completely shut out. Near the center of the room was a large pile of firewood that I wished we could light but knew that we couldn't considering there was no place for the smoke to go in the enclosed space. Instead I moved closer to Natsu's side and tried to gain as much heat from his body as I could.

"This place is cool," Natsu said, turning his head from side to side as he looked around the space. In one corner there was a small pile of thick blankets with a large fur thrown on top which must have been his bed and in the opposite corner there was a wooden table and chair, the table laden with untidy piles of books and papers as well as miscellaneous objects which seemed to all be almost antique. Along the wall closest to us there was another table, this one filled with canisters and jars which looked like they contained food.

"I found this place when I was young," Rorke said. "Ava and I used to come here together but now it's only me. She's too busy with her plants and that stupid shop to come with me any more." Although he had a scowl on his face, his eyes were alight with humor.

"So, you live here?" I asked, shivering slightly as we stood there.

Rorke moved towards the table of books and took a seat in the old chair, the wood creaking dangerously before settling in. "Part-time, yes. I come here often and when I do, this is where I stay mostly." He grabbed a book out of a precariously stacked pile and started thumbing through it. "Sorry about the lack of seating. I don't usually have guests. Make yourselves comfortable whatever way you can."

I turned my head to look at Natsu and he shrugged his shoulders before taking a few steps to the cavern wall and sliding down to sit, his back resting against the hard rock. I squatted down next to him and before I could sit beside him he grabbed my hips and pulled me on to his lap, settling my body between his outstretched legs and wrapping his warm arms around my body.

I snuggled comfortably against him, my body absorbing the heat that radiated off of his and felt his chin rest on the top of my head. Despite the surroundings, I couldn't imagine being more content. Being in his arms felt indescribably… right; like this was where I was supposed to be.

"Where do you live when you're not here?" I asked, sighing happily when Natsu lightly kissed the back of my neck.

"In Earthland which I'm assuming is where you are from," he answered and Natsu and I both stiffened with excitement.

"So you know how to get us back?" Natsu asked.

Rorke absently nodded his head and continued to peruse an old book which was laid out in front of him.

Finally, we were going to be able to go back home. Natsu squeezed me gently and I turned my head back to look at him, smiling at each other with the news.

My excitement quickly dissipated though when I remembered what the Howl had said when he'd first appeared. Dustin was in danger… because of us. There was no way we could leave here after all he'd done for us. But… what could we do? This land was wholly different from where we were from. Heck, we didn't even know where the Winter King was.

"There has to be a reason…" I heard the old man mumble and then Natsu spoke up.

"Do you know the Winter King?" he asked.

Rorke lifted his head and turned abruptly to look at us. He had a surprised look on his face and then nodded his head.

"Well, I don't _know _him. But I know who he is and where he came from," Rorke said and my ears perked up.

"Where's he from?" I asked, leaning forward slightly in Natsu's lap. His arms were still wrapped around my waist.

"Same as you and me… Earthland."

"Earthland?!" Natsu and I both exclaimed.

"Yes. He actually lived in Rosendale where Ava's shop is. He was very young the last time I saw him, probably not older than ten."

"How did he get here?" I asked. "And where exactly is here?"

"This is Leonas… now called the Kingdom of Winter." He sighed and sat back, laying the book on the table. "At first I thought this was all a daydream come true. One day, my sister came to me; her eyes alight with excitement and told me to drink something she'd concocted. We were very young then, just kids and ever since she was able to walk she'd been messing around with herbs and potions, making me try stuff that scared the daylights out of me, afraid that I'd turn into a snake or something. One time she accidentally turned my skin green for a whole week. Needless to say our parents weren't too happy with her after that one.

"But anyway… as always since she was my older sister and I was helpless against her," he smiled, staring off at the wall as he spoke, "I took the potion that she was so excited about and drank it down. I think you can guess what happened after that." I thought of the encompassing blackness that had enveloped me when I'd drank the potion Ava had given me and the fear when we'd ended up on top of a windy mountainside.

"This world became our playground. When we were young I didn't really give much thought to where we were or how we'd gotten there. To be honest, I'd half thought that it was all imagined, created inside Ava's head and brought to life through magic. But over time it became obvious that this wasn't just some strange dreamland and that this was a real place. To this day I'm still not sure where it is… at least in comparison to Earthland. There is no way to get here on foot no matter how far you travel. The only way is through drinking some of Ava's potion.

"And as for how Torix got here… I have my suspicions but I've never been able to truly find out."

"Torix?" I questioned.

"The Winter King. Torix was his name in Earthland. He used to go to Ava's shop a lot," Rorke answered. "He was a quiet kid, never hung around with the other kids his age in town. Often when I would visit my sister I would see him in her store, gazing at all the vials of herbs and elixirs. Unfortunately I wasn't around enough to know much more about him.

"It took me several years to learn of Torix's take over of Leonas. See, I never stay here very long. To me, this place is just a retreat… a way to disappear for a short while. But once I did learn I immediately went to my sister and asked her what had happened and she was reluctant to tell me anything more than who the Winter King was.

"So, like I said… I have my suspicions but I'm not sure exactly how he got here." The old man looked back down at the book and started flipping through the pages again.

I turned to Natsu and could see he was listening intently to what the old man was saying.

"We believe a friend of ours was taken by him. Is it possible to break into his palace?" I asked.

Rorke looked up from his book and regarded me. "I'm not sure. I'm no mage so I've stayed away from Frioza.

"Torix is a powerful mage but in this world, magic doesn't run as deep as it does in Earthland. I'm guessing from the fact that you two defeated a Howl that you are powerful mages as well. So yes, maybe it would be possible for you to break into his palace. But, I've heard some horrible stories about what he's done to the people he captures."

I nodded my head and turned when Natsu said, "That's why we need to go. Do you know how to get there?"

Rorke at first looked surprised but then his expression calmed as his eyes settled on a page in his book. He nodded his head and then rose from his chair, walking across the room to hand me the worn book.

I scanned through the page, mouthing the words as I read and then stopped abruptly… re-reading the line.

_A flaming key will close the door against endless winter._

Rorke nodded his head towards the keys at my waist and then said to Natsu, "Judging from the damage up top, I'm guessing you are a fire mage. Fire and keys…"

I turned in Natsu's lap and we looked silently at each other before we stood up and handed the book back to Rorke.

"A great seer of the past wrote this. He foretold of a time when the land would be covered in endless cold. He predicted many things over the course of time but it was said that each prediction taxed him greatly, taking years off his life. He died long ago." He absently stroked the book and then looked up at us.

"I can only show you where Frioza is. The journey you will have to make on your own." We followed the old man across the room to the table with all the books and waited while he sifted through stacks of papers till he pulled out an aged sheet with a map drawn over it. He laid it out over the wooden table, shoving several books aside to make room and then pointed to a place on the map. "This is where we are right now." Then he slid his finger across the map. "This is Frioza where his palace resides. It's a several days journey by foot."

Natsu and I both groaned, worried about spending that much time traveling while Dustin was in danger.

"But, there is a quicker way," Rorke said, a grin spreading over his face.

I looked at him questioningly and asked, "What is it?"

As if on queue, something stirred on the pile of blankets in the corner and I realized with a start that the fuzzy blanket was no blanket at all but a large creature. It looked like a dog or a very large cat but it was nearly the size of a horse though not quite as tall. Its fur was snow white and curly and as it stood up and started padding its way over to us, I could see its slanted eyes which were a vivid shade of blue.

"This is Darsur. He's a Rachida from up north. Usually they don't come this far south but since the Winter King came into power and perpetual winter took over the land, a few have ventured down. This is actually perfect timing. I was planning on heading back to Earthland today and Darsur was going to go back north. If he consents, he can bring you to Frioza on his way."

The large animal walked towards us and stopped when its face mere inches from mine. It sniffed loudly, its pinkish colored nose hovering close to my face and then turned to do the same to Natsu who sniffed him back. The creature backed off, it's entire body stiffening momentarily before it hesitantly stepped forward again and sniffed up and down Natsu's body.

After a short span of time, Darsur backed up once again and turned its large head towards Rorke and nodded its head. "Ah good! He consents though he is weary of you Natsu."

"Why?" I asked.

Rorke laughed and placed a heavy hand on Darsur's neck, absently stroking the animals' thick fur. "He says he smells hot."

"How do you know? Can you read his mind?" I asked, confused.

Rorke shook his head and smiled. "Quite the opposite actually. Darsur can _speak_ into _my _mind. He can speak to you as well if he chose to but it's rare that he ever does. All Rachida have this ability."

I looked at the large animal, my eyes wide with amazement.

"Now then, let's see if this storm passed yet. The King's fury was strong but I imagine it didn't last long," said Rorke and we followed him to the boarded up entryway. He lifted the thick wood and moved it to the side and we could instantly tell that the storm had indeed passed by, the wind calmer and as we walked up the cracked ridge only flurries still fell. In its wake though, several more inches of snow had fallen and it was difficult to walk through, the snow coming up almost to mid-shin.

"So, exactly how is Darsur going to get us to the Winter King?" Natsu asked, a weary look on his face.

"He will carry you. He knows the way so you shouldn't have to worry about getting lost. I'm guessing you will be able to make it there by nightfall," Rorke answered and Natsu's face was already turning a sickening color of green. "Oh and I almost forgot." Rorke reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vile filled with a familiar looking milky liquid. "Drink this when you are ready to go back to Earthland."

I took the small vile from his outstretched hands and smiled. "Thank you," I said and stuck it in a small pocket in my backpack.

"Alright then. You best be going if you want to make it before dark," Rorke said and motioned for us to climb on to Darsur.

I took a hesitant step towards the large beast and stuck my hand out to touch its fluffy white fur. It was surprisingly soft and warm and when I rubbed my hand over it Darsur made a content sound deep in his throat. Natsu helped me up, grabbing my waist and lifting me up till I could slide my right leg on to the other side so that I was sitting astride him and then Natsu jumped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my body.

"Be safe and good luck!" Rorke called out and then, with a jolt, Darsur took off, running with more speed that I'd imagined him capable of… especially with two people on his back. Natsu's arms tightened around my waist and I felt his head fall forward on to the center of my back. _God I hope he didn't get sick on me._

Agilely, Darsur made his way down the rocky mountainside, picking a path and easily jumping from one boulder to another till we reached the bottom. The forest stretched out in front of us then and he swiftly ran through the thick trees, his strides long and powerful as he sped through the snow. I had to lean forward on his back, bringing Natsu's slack body down with me till I lay almost completely against Darsur's back and I grasped tightly to his fur.

A couple hours passed like this, weaving between trees till finally the forest started to thin and eventually a great white plain stretched out in front of us.

"What is wrong with the heated one?" a deep voice asked, startling me and making me spin my head from side to side to find its source.

"Who… who said that?" I asked, looking around and finding nothing as we sped across the flat plain.

"If he gets sick on me I'm going to be angry," the voice said and my eyes widened.

"Darsur?!" I exclaimed questioningly and was answered with an amused snort.

"Who else?"

The feeling of him talking to me was strange, the voice threading its way into my thoughts almost like they were my own instead of his. "Natsu has motion sickness. I'll make sure he doesn't get sick on you," I answered aloud, unsure if he could hear my thoughts otherwise. "How much farther do we have to go?" I asked.

"Another stretch of time. This is the plains of Eleve. Once we reach the River of Lanorial we will be parting company. From there it is little less than an hours walk by two legs to Frioza."

Natsu groaned behind me and tightened his grip around my waist as we picked up speed once again, Darsur stretching his powerful body out as he sped across the valley. It was impressive, the strength and endurance he possessed and I let myself relax as we rode across the snowy expanse.

Several hours later, just as the sun was starting to disappear behind the high mountains in the distance, we came to a large river that gurgled by with large chunks of ice dotting the surface.

"How are we going to get across that?" I asked out loud, more to myself than to anyone else but Darsur answered.

"Farther up, the river narrows. I will take you that far."

Several minutes later, Darsur slowed and eventually stopped. The sun was almost completely gone, shadows thrown wide over the landscape from the mountains and Natsu and I dismounted unsteadily, our muscles sore from the journey.

The river at this point was much narrower, no more than 25ft across and several patches of snowy ice dotted across the way which would make it easy to jump across.

"The palace is just beyond that hill. You will be able to see its towers once you reach the top," Darsur said and then turned to face north up the river.

"Thank you so much for your help," I said and heard Natsu groan his thanks as well from where he lay sprawled out in the snow. I took a step forward and tentatively reached my hand out and rubbed it over the top of Darsurs his large head, ruffling the fur there till the creature rumbled in his throat.

"Be safe," he said and then glanced at me one last time before he took off, vanishing in the shadows quickly.

I turned and looked at the river and then the hill we were meant to climb. Natsu finally stood up and stepped beside me.

"Guess we better get going," I said and Natsu nodded his head beside me.

To be continued...

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**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Not a whole lot of romance but trust me, we're getting there. And once we're there... I'll make up for the delay, I promise. :)**

**Also, thank you everyone for your support! I really enjoy your comments.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hooray for NaLu week! I won't be contributing but I love looking at all the wonderful pictures.  
**

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**Chapter 13**

I adjusted the straps over my shoulders and stepped to the edge of the river. The shallow crystal clear water gurgled by, winding through large rocks which peaked out of the surface, capped by thick layers of snow. Natsu went first, stepping from the sloping bank to the first snow covered rock. He jumped to the second before turning and watched me as I wearily stepped on the first rock. Luckily the snow was deep enough that my foot sunk in and it kept me from slipping.

We made it over the river with no problems and then started making our way up the sloping hillside. It didn't take long to reach the top but a biting wind started to sting my face as the sun disappeared and darkness enveloped the land. The thick jacket I was wearing suddenly felt like a paper thin sheet and I tugged the hood over my head, pulling on the drawstrings till there was a hole just large enough for me to still see through.

"You ok Lucy?" Natsu asked, standing beside me on the top of the hill. The temperature must have dropped 25 degrees in a matter of minutes.

My teeth started chattering loudly and every muscle in my body tensed up, shivers rolling up and down my spine. "It's… sssss so…. cccc cold," I said and moved to stand behind him, hoping his body could block some of the penetrating wind that seemed to somehow slip between every seam of my clothing.

"I don't see the palace," Natsu said, seeming to be completely unfazed by the chilling temperature. His hand was raised above his eyes, shielding them from the falling snow that was falling down harder every minute.

I pressed my chest against his back and nuzzled into his warmth for a brief second before I placed my hands on his waist and pushed him lightly forward. "Let's just walk. Darsur said it was this way. The snow is falling too thickly anyway to be able to see far enough."

I followed him closely, hunched over as I tried to step in the tracks he left in his wake. My body was trembling so violently now that my muscles ached, my jaw soar from my teeth constantly chattering. I reached for my keys and hissed when the cool metal touched my fingers. They clanged loudly as I fumbled to pick out the right one and as soon as I felt the key for Horologium I summoned him out.

Inside, I curled my body into a tiny ball and tried to get my blood pumping again in my veins.

"Hey, I think I see it!" Natsu said, turning and pointing at something in the distance.

I looked up, trying to follow the direction his finger was pointing and squinted my eyes. Vaguely, in the distance, I could make out a tall spire rising high into the sky, set beside a snowy mountainside which cut off abruptly into a steep cliff where it fell into a frozen lake. The base of the spire was a large building with long thin columns that looked like the edges of large swords running all the way up to the steeply angled roof. From this distance and with the missing sun, it was too hard to tell what color it was but it looked cold and malicious and there wasn't even a soul in sight.

"That must be it," I said, shivering as the cold slipped even inside of Horologiums box.

Natsu resumed walking and I hollered out for him to wait a moment.

"We can't just march right in there. Anyone would be able to see us coming," I said and started scanning the area for a possible way to conceal our approach. Unfortunately there wasn't a single tree in view, only a sloping snow covered landscape that stretched all the way to the mountainside.

"I don't think we have much choice," Natsu said. I could tell from the way his hair was whipping around his head that the wind had picked up even more and for a brief moment I let my eyes wander down his body, enjoying the way his thin shirt clung to every plain and angle of his muscular frame when the wind blew it against him. A bubble of warmth erupted inside my belly and I suddenly wished that I wasn't inside of Horologium anymore.

As if my spirit could read my mind, Horologium abruptly said that time was up and good bye then vanished, leaving me clutching my body where I sat in the freezing snow. I jumped up immediately and walked to Natsu's side, already shivering fiercely from the cold.

"Alright, let's go," I said. Natsu was right; there was no way of possibly concealing ourselves. We'd just have to hope that there wasn't an army waiting for us, keeping watch of the palace.

The snow fell harder and harder the farther we went and by the time we'd made it half way across the distance I could barely see Natsu who was standing directly beside me. I reached my un-gloved hand out towards him and caught his hand as it swung by his side, worried that I would lose complete sight of him shortly if I didn't and then sighed in relief at the first touch… he was still so warm.

I was starting to wonder if we'd gone off track, the snow storm concealing the palaces location, when suddenly the place loomed high above us, much larger than it had first appeared in the distance. Natsu and I both stopped abruptly and looked up at its massive height which stood only twenty or so yards away. There was no gate around the perimeter or any sort of barrier to keep people away, probably because no one dared to come this close, and a pair of tall narrow double doors dominated the landing which dozens of stairs led up to.

I scanned the area, looking for any other way to enter but there was not even a window in sight, much less a door.

"Looks like we're doing it your way," I said and then took a deep, slightly troubled breath.

"What's my way?" Natsu asked, staring down at me.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled, "Barging straight through the front door without a care of the consequences."

He laughed, his large eyes alight with amusement. "It's the least expected way."

I thought about that for a moment and nodded my head, "You know, you might be right."

Natsu and I walked up to the steep stairway, each step made of slate and I clutched his hand tighter as we approached the doorway, more afraid of slipping on the icy steps than what awaited us on the other side.

"Here goes," I said and stepped slightly behind Natsu as he gripped the frost covered knob and pulled the door open. The heavy steel door swung open easily and only an eerie silence greeted us. Beyond the door was a long hallway, unadorned and completely bare of any furnishings. The walls were a seamless dull grey color which was only interrupted by the occasional wooden door which we discovered, as we walked inside, were all locked.

"Where is everyone?" Natsu asked after we'd walked a few dozen yards inside, the door closed tightly behind us. It wasn't much warmer inside than outside but at least there was no wind and no freezing snow falling on my face.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," I commented and gripped Natsu's arm tightly. Either the man was stupid or extremely sure of himself to not have any guards protecting him.

On the far end of the hall, a large double door stood, each side with a brass knocker in the shape of a lions head in the center of the wooden surface.

Cautiously we approached, alert for any sound or movement and then Natsu slowly opened the door…

"Welcome," a deep, low voice said, startling me. Standing in the center of the room was a tall, well built man with long charcoal grey hair and piercing blue eyes. His clothing was simple, a white tunic with long sleeves, belted around his waist by a black leather strip and plain black slacks. He seemed completely at ease where he stood, his arms crossed over his broad chest and a small grin on his handsome face.

At my side, Natsu tensed, his entire body going rigid and heat pouring out of his pores. "Where's Dustin?" he asked, his voice even and low.

"I assure you, he is unharmed. Please, come in," the man said and motioned for us to join him.

"Who are you?" I asked, unmoving from where I stood in front of the doorway, the doors closed behind us.

"My name is Torix, known here as the Winter King and I assume you are Lucy and Natsu."

I nodded my head and stepped forward, careful to keep a safe distance from the man. Natsu moved with me, his mouth set in a stern line.

"Let Dustin go," I said and the man sighed audibly.

"Very well," he answered and turned, walking towards the back of the room and pausing to say over his shoulder, "please, follow me."

Wearily we followed and turned down a hallway which led to a slightly smaller room with a large oval table in the center surrounded by at least a dozen chairs. Sitting on one of the chairs on the opposite side from where we stood was Dustin, his head lowered and tendrils of green hair falling over his brow. His looked to be restrained with his arms pulled behind his body, possibly tied together behind his back.

"See, unharmed as I said," Torix said and Dustin's head shot up in surprise.

He looked at us, a mixture of hope and shame on his young face. "Lucy! Natsu!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"They came here for you of course," Torix said while walking calmly around the table and moving behind Dustin.

"What do you want with him?" Natsu asked, his eyes narrowed on the Winter King.

"With him… nothing. He's useless. It was you I was after… or rather, both of you. See, several years ago I collected all the magic in this land and stored it for myself but as of late, mages have been quite scarce here, only the occasional child born with magical abilities."

Subconsciously my fingers brushed against my keys as I listened to him. It was unnerving how calm he was; like he had no doubt that he was more powerful than us. "So you want to take our magic power so that you can continue to torment this land… this land that isn't even your home."

"So you know that I'm originally from Earthland already… good. Yes, Earthland is where I was born but that doesn't matter. This is my land now, and I rule it."

"If you don't want Dustin then let him go," Natsu said.

"No, I don't think I will. He might prove to be useful at some point," Torix answered. "Now then," suddenly clear liquid started to climb up the walls like an oozing mist and Torix threw his arms wide and a burst of cold air froze the liquid in place, completely sealing off the room with a thick layer of ice.

Natsu turned, his fist enveloped in flames and punched the wall of ice, a thin crack splintering the surface and a small oval dent appearing where the ice had melted from the heat of his skin but another blast of cold air refroze the damage almost instantly. At the same time, liquid started to pool around my feet and then it froze, immobilizing me and slowly the ice began to creep up my legs, moving past my ankles to my shins and increasing in speed up to my thighs.

"Natsu!" I screamed and reached for my keys but before I could grab one the water engulfed my body up to my waist and the keys froze against my hip.

"Lucy!" Natsu hollered and took a step towards me but an instant later the ice captured his feet as well and halted him mid-stride.

Dustins body was already covered up to his throat and his face was contorted in an angry scowl while he worked fruitlessly to escape.

I could feel the ice creeping up my body and a suffocating fear engulfed me, making my throat close. From across the room, Torix started to laugh and the sound echoed through the cold room, making my body shake uncontrollably in anger.

"You think ice will stop me?!" Natsu said and from the corner of my eye I watched flames completely take over his body and the ice rapidly melted away. He jumped forward, bouncing on top of the table and then flew towards Torix, his arm pulled back to strike.

An instant before he made contact, a pillar of ice shot up in front of Torix and Natsu crashed into it, shattering the barrier and chunks of ice scattering across the room. A large gust of wind started circling the room and I stared in amazement as a dark grey cloud formed over our heads.

"I've been building up my magic power for years. You think you can just barge in here and defeat me so easily?" Torix said, his eyes shining with menacing light.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," answered Natsu but just as he was saying it, an extremely hard gust of wind picked him up off the ground and threw him back against the wall.

"Natsu!" Dustin and I both screamed and when I turned my eyes to the boy across the way I was momentarily frightened. His golden eyes were glowing brightly, almost sparkling like gem stones under a ray of sunlight. His jaw was clenched, the muscle ticking beneath his ear and I could practically see his body shaking underneath the thick layer of ice. The room started to quake, the large crystal chandelier over our heads swaying dangerously back and forth in the center of the room and Dustin suddenly burst through the ice restraining him and stood up.

He screamed, throwing his head back and I stared wide-eyed at him. His entire body seemed to glow with an inner light, seeping through his pores and a bright flash suddenly blinded me, making me close my eyes and wince in pain.

Both Natsu and Torix were on the ground, shielding their eyes and when the light finally faded away, standing in the center of the room was a guy, approximately Natsu's height and build with spiky green hair and tattered clothing that hung in shreds over his entire body. His body was heaving with heavy breaths like he'd just scaled a steep cliff and when he finally lifted his gaze and looked around the room, I gasped as recognition hit me.

"Dustin!" I said in amazement. He looked nearly the same, his features slightly more rigid and hard than they'd been before and his jaw line a bit more squared.

Natsu was beside me now, his face equally as awed as mine and he reached out to melt the ice around my body.

"Leave this land," Dustin said as he rounded on Torix, his shoulders straightening.

Torix threw back his head, his dark grey hair tumbling down his back and laughed. "Just because you grew up you think I'm just going to go away?" His arms lifted from his sides and the wind once again began to circle the room.

Dustins body began to glow again, his eyes turning fierce, and suddenly a ray of light burst from his body and pierced Torix's form, slicing into his side. The Winter King stumbled back, the wind halting abruptly and in the next instant, Natsu reared back and let out a volley of fire from his mouth, enveloping Torix's body in flames.

Beside me, Dustin's body swayed unsteadily, his eyes rolling into the back of his head and I quickly stepped behind him and caught his body as he crumpled to the floor. He was too large to hold up for long so I had to lay his body gently on the ground and then I looked up at Natsu who was moving towards Torix who lay motionless several feet away.

"Is he…" I began to ask and then Torix started to move.

Natsu stepped forward and placed his foot on the Winter Kings chest, pushing him back on the ground. "Don't move," he said, his hand in a fist which was covered in fire, ready to hit him if he attempted to get up.

"Dustin… Dustin… are you ok?" I said as I shook him. Slowly his eyes blinked open, golden orbs staring up and me in confusion before he blinked and sat up.

"What… happened?" he asked, lifting his hand and rubbing his eyes.

"We're not sure. One minute you were you and the next you were… older. Then you and Natsu attacked Torix and the next thing I know, you passed out," I explained.

Dustin looked back at me with confusion in his eyes. "Older?"

I nodded my head and grabbed a broken piece of the chandelier from the floor. I held it out for Dustin and he gazed at his reflection in the cracked piece. "And the Winter King?" he asked, dropping the shard on the floor.

"I've got him," Natsu said, heaving the man to his feet after he'd apparently tied his hands behind his back… with what I wasn't sure.

"You mean you… defeated him?" he asked incredulously and I shook my head.

"_You and Natsu_ defeated him. You fought him as well. You're a mage."

His eyes went wide and he turned his palm up, staring down at his hand till a slight glow formed above it. "Wow!" he exclaimed and stood up abruptly, swaying slightly on his feet before grabbing the edge of the table to steady himself. Oddly enough, I realized, his voice hadn't changed. It had seemed strange when we'd first met him, his voice a bit lower than you'd expect of a young boys but now it seemed to make sense. It was like his body had been stunted in growth but his voice had somehow been forgotten.

"What do we do now?" he asked and I shrugged my shoulders after I stood up.

"I think Natsu and I should take him back to Earthland with us. That's where he belongs anyway and I have a feeling Ava has a plan for him," I answered and noted how Dustin's face fell. "What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"Well I… was hoping you could stay for a while. Maybe teach me how to be a mage," he answered and Natsu moved beside us, pulling Torix's battered body behind him.

"You should come with us! You can meet everyone in our guild," Natsu said with a large grin.

Dustin rubbed the back of his neck nervously and shook his head. "I can't leave my Grandmother. She's probably so worried right now."

I remembered the sweet old lady who'd been so nice to us when we'd first come to this world. I smiled as I recalled what she'd said that first day… _"Lovely… what a cute couple you make."_ She'd probably be thrilled to know that she'd been right.

"Tell her we said hi. I hope she is ok," I said. "Do you know how to get back home?"

He nodded his head. "Maybe some day I'll come visit you guys."

"We'd love that. If you decide to, just take a sip of this," I said and started rummaging through the pack on my back. I found the small vial and held it up. "This is what Ava uses to jump between worlds. We'll leave it to you after we've gone. She will be able to tell you where to find us. If not though, just remember that we are Fairy Tail mages."

I handed the bottle over to Natsu and he forcefully tugged Torix's head back and then pried his mouth open. He poured a small drop into his mouth and then we watched as the Winter King vanished before our eyes. "We better get going too," Natsu said, his hands fisted and resting on his hips.

"I can't thank you guys enough. You've saved this world. Hopefully now we can go back to the way things used to be and magic can re-enter this world," Dustin said and I stepped forward to give him a hug.

"Good luck! I hope you do come to visit us some day," I said and then stepped back.

Natsu waved one last time and then handed the bottle over to me. He opened his mouth and tipped his head back and just like before, he vanished a moment after the liquid touched his tongue.

"Here," I said, holding the bottle out for Dustin. "It looks like there should be enough left for you once I'm done." I decided to give him my pack as well, pulling out the few personal items that were inside. He'd need the bed roll and food that was inside more than I would since he had to trek all the way back to his village.

Dustin did the same for me as I'd done for Natsu with the vial and a few seconds later I found myself in a familiar room. Plants hung everywhere, crowding the small space and a loud crash alerted me to the presence of people nearby.

"You little brat! How dare you use my magic like that?! I should turn you into a wart covered toad!" Ava hollered, pointing her finger up into Torix's downcast face. "Jail will be like heaven after what I'm going to do to you."

Beside them, Natsu stood, his arms crossed and as soon as he saw me he walked over to me and gently turned my face up to his for a kiss. "Let's go home," he said and I nodded my head, home sounding better than ever before.

To be continued…

* * *

**Let the fun begin!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Come on Lucy! We're almost home!" Natsu said excitedly, practically tugging me behind as we walked along the path that led to Natsu and Happy's little cottage. It was already late in the day, the sun nearly completely set behind the mountains in the distance. Long shadows crept over the landscape and I followed Natsu, laughing as excitement bubbled inside of me. It felt like it had been weeks since we'd been in Magnolia but in reality it had only been five days. But… a lot happened in those five days.

The night we'd left Ava's shop, Natsu and I had been able to find a small drug store in the little town before we'd started our journey, on foot, to Cait Shelter. As luck would have it, the store had a special type of magic users contraceptive which was effective within 24 hours… how perfect was that?! We'd left that night and walked through the darkness, Virgo lighting the way for us with a celestial lantern she carried along the path, till we reached the small town where the train station was. It had been nearly midnight by then and we'd somehow managed to find an Inn where we'd stayed for the rest of the night. And what a tortuous night it had been… filled with heavy petting and long sensual kisses that had made me nearly forget the 24 hour waiting period. Amazingly though, we'd made it, boarding the first morning train and heading home.

We hopped up the steps that led to Natsu's front door and as soon as I stepped inside, Natsu grabbed me by the waist and pulled me against his hard body. He smiled down at me, a wicked glint in his eyes and I threw my arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to mine for a mind-altering kiss that left my knees wobbling beneath me. Every kiss, every caress, every lust filled sigh that had passed between us the past few days seemed to come together in a rush as we stood there, devouring each other.

Our bags hit the floor, forgotten as we stumbled blindly through the main room to the bedroom. His hands were all over my body, gliding over my curves and then grabbing the bottom of my shirt to tug it over my head and throw it unceremoniously on the floor. His own shirt went next, falling next to mine in the quickly increasing pile. My hands rubbed up his torso, caressing every inch of his muscular chest then moving to his shoulders where I gripped him tightly as he cupped my breasts in his hands.

"Lucy… thanks again for the bed," Natsu said a moment before he backed me into it and then grabbed the back of both of my legs and lifted me up, depositing me in the center of the mattress and then climbing over my body. An instant later, his mouth was covering mine again, his tongue delving between my lips greedily. I kissed him back, sucking on his tongue and moaning in my throat. The world around me disappeared and there was only Natsu, only his warm lips sliding devastatingly over my own. I couldn't get enough of him, couldn't touch enough of his wonderful body or, for that matter, get enough of him touching me.

His lips left mine and started to trail over my jaw and then my throat, kissing the beating pulse on my neck and then sucking gently. At the same time, one of his hands slid up my body and cupped my breast, plumping it and then his fingers started to pluck the sensitive peak. His mouth stayed the path down my neck and then passed over my collarbone, quickly finding my other nipple and torturing it as his fingers continued their work on the other.

I moaned, arching my back off the bed as incredible feelings washed through my body, licks of lightning passing through my veins. "Natsu!" I cried out when he started to suck greedily on the tip. My hands rubbed over his shoulders and down his back, reaching as far as I could and then moving back up to grasp the silky strands of his hair tightly.

With a loud succulent sound, Natsu released my nipple and looked up at me, his face flushed and several strands of pink hair falling over his forehead and into his eyes. His gaze was intense, locking with mine as he slowly lowered his lips to the top of my belly and then eased his way down my body, never releasing contact with my eyes. I could see my heavy breaths in the way my breasts rose and fell rapidly as I continued to stare at him and when his tongue darted out and licked inside my navel I sucked in a quick breathe and started to pant, anticipation building up inside of me.

"N-Natsu… what are you…"

"Shhhh…" he said, the air from his mouth whispering over my skin, sending a shiver up my spine. I didn't dare look away, entranced by the way his eyes held mine while his mouth kissed and licked down my lower belly, his hands tugging my skirt off, and then his lips moving to the small tuft of curls between my legs. I raised myself up on my elbows. He was so close, so achingly close. Without realizing it I was biting my lower lip hard and when I felt a slight bit of pain I licked over the spot and watched Natsu's eyes glaze over.

Then, his tongue licked hotly over my clit. I screamed, the feeling combined with the visual making my senses overload. It was so incredible… the slide of his tongue over that tiny sensitive spot and the look in his eyes, slightly mischievous. I was trembling with lust, watching him as he licked me and then wrapped his warm lips around the nub and started to suck. His arms grabbed my thighs from beneath and lifted my hips up like a delicious meal. I reached my hand out and grabbed the top of his head, thrusting my hips upwards to meet his wicked tongue.

His gaze was spellbinding. He was so sexy, licking me like I was the sweetest candy.

Waves of pleasure poured through my body, making my hips surge time and time again. I could feel my orgasm coming, the pleasure building higher and higher till I threw my head back, screaming incoherent words and felt my body surge with intense feeling.

Natsu's mouth was on mine an instant later and I could taste myself on his lips. His tongue stroked over my own like he was still licking my clit and garbled words and sounds tumbled up my throat, lost between his mouth and mine.

My hands were everywhere, stroking his back and sides, reaching as far down as I could and then firmly grasping his taut buttocks. Oooo, he felt so good in my hands. I squeezed his cheeks roughly, grinding my spread legs against his hips. I wanted him… wanted him so badly I ached.

Without any hesitancy I reached between our bodies to the waistband of his pants. I curled my fingers beneath the fabric and fumbled with the button, trying to tug his pants off of his body but failing miserably and whimpering in frustration. He sat up, kneeling between my legs and quickly undid the button and zipper, yanking his pants down over his hips. I sat up and reached for his bobbing length, gasping as he fell heavily into my hands. He was so thick and hard, a rod of warmth practically throbbing in my grasp.

He groaned huskily, arching his neck back, the muscles contracting and straining. I lunged forward and pressed my lips to his skin just beneath his jaw. My tongue eagerly licked along the sensitive skin and then I gently bit into his earlobe. At the same time my hands were alternatingly stroking his arousal, feeling him grow even harder in my palms. With every stroke he made some sort of incoherent sound, moaning and groaning under the assault of my hands. It was addicting touching him like this. I loved making him unravel right in front of my eyes.

Sweat beaded his forehead and a thin sheen of moisture covered his entire body. My nipples were hard points of pleasure as they brushed over his chest and when he started to pull away from me I groaned my displeasure.

"You… have to… stop," he hissed as my hand gripped him tighter. I looked at him, saw the lust boiling at the surface and the next thing I knew I was on my back, Natsu's hard body between my widely spread thighs and his hands grabbing my own hands and pulling them over my head. "I want you so badly."

His words sent another rush of heat to my loins and I could see the unspoken question in the depths of his gaze. Silently I nodded my head and lifted my hips, sending him an invitation as old as time… take me, I'm yours.

Moaning loudly Natsu reached down and guided the crest of his cock to my cleft, rubbing it up and down the slit and coating himself in my juices. He teased the small bundle of nerves just north of my opening and I gritted my teeth as pleasure shot through my body.

His eyes took in my reaction and he started rubbing himself over the sensitive nub over and over again. The sensations of another orgasm started to build and then he positioned his erection at my entrance. My muscles clenched, desperate for the feel of him. I heard him take a deep breath and then he slid slowly inside, sinking in till the crown of his cock was buried inside.

My hands were pressed against his back and I could feel his body straining as he slowly entered me, filling me inch by incredible inch with his thick length. Something snapped inside of me and I winced briefly, the discomfort lasting only a moment before delicious fullness took its place.

Natsu was panting above me, his chest heaving. My vaginal walls were being stretched deliciously and I tilted my hips as he seated himself deeper and deeper within my body. With a final surge he buried himself to the hilt, releasing a loud groan while at the same time I cried out and clutched his body close to mine.

"Oh fuck. You feel so… AHH!" he hollered, throwing his head back. I stared up at him, amazed by his reaction and clenched my muscles again, listening to him hiss between his teeth. "Lucy," he moaned and then started to pull out. It felt so good. His thick length slid out and then he surged back inside. He was so vocal, moaning and groaning… mumbling sex words in my ear as he began thrusting repeatedly inside of me.

The feeling was beyond anything I'd imagined. My muscles clenched around his thick cock as he penetrated me fully, over and over again, shafting my sex wonderfully. I lifted my hips slightly, meeting his thrusts with a hesitant one of my own and when he slammed into me, so deeply it almost hurt, we both cried out in unison and trembled.

"Do that again… please!" I said, not caring that my words came out almost like a plea. He repeated the motion and I rolled against him. Our bodies slapped together, creating a sound that was so sexual it made me gasp. Wow! He kept the rhythm going, pounding against me. He angled his hips slightly, propping himself up higher with his hands and penetrated a spot inside of me that was unbelievable. "Oh Natsu, yes!" I said, my words coming out raspy and harsh. Whatever he was hitting was driving me insane and my body was rapidly responding, pleasure building inside of me.

"You like that?" he asked, still thrusting wildly inside of me. I nodded my head, biting my lip as the pleasure mounted higher and higher. Natsu had his body angled high enough that I could see between our bodies and I lifted my head and watched his stomach slam against mine, over and over again. The sight was so erotic, mixed with the slapping and sucking sounds of our damp skin that my mouth opened wide and my head fell back as I screamed my release, fisting my hands in the sheets beside me.

"Mmm Lucy," Natsu groaned and then he started jerking in and out of me, his movements almost erratic. His labored breathing filled my ears and I grabbed his backside as he grinded inside of me. The spasms of my orgasm were still pulsing through my body and the deep thrust of his hips prolonged it, drawing it out till suddenly he started muttering my name over and over again then jerked inside of me several more times and cried out. He was buried so deeply inside, spilling himself and I gripped his cheeks even tighter and rolled my hips against him, rubbing overmy clit and pushing myself over the edge and shattering once again.

We laid there for several minutes, his body heavily draped over mine. The only sound was our harsh breathing and I leisurely brushed the tips of my fingers up and down his back and along his sides. I think I could lie like this forever. He was heavy on me but I didn't mind at all. I liked how he felt. His erection was still inside me, softening slightly but still filling me. The feeling of contentment was overwhelming and I was amazed by how good it felt to be with him like this.

Slowly Natsu lifted his head from where it was resting in the crook of my neck and asked, "Are you ok?"

I laughed and shook my head. "You ask me now? Isn't it a bit late to be asking that?"

"Uh…"

"Yes, of course I'm ok," I said, a smile on my face. He leaned down and gently kissed me, his lips lingering over mine as they brushed sweetly over my own.

"It's a good thing Happy wasn't here," Natsu said, smiling before lowering his lips to mine again.

I wrapped my arms languidly around his neck and kissed him back, slipping my tongue between his lips before I pulled back and answered, "Yea. I wonder where he is."

"Time for them is different," Natsu said and I nodded my head, remembering hearing that before. With a groan Natsu rolled off of me and moved to my side, throwing an arm around my waist and pulling me against him so that my back was to his front. He was still wonderfully naked and I couldn't help but wiggle against him, pressing my backside into his hips which were curved over mine.

"Mmm… stop that," Natsu said quietly behind my ear. I smiled and did it again, receiving another groan and then he nipped my shoulder. "You're gonna make me hard again."

_Was that supposed to stop me?_ I reached my hand back and found his side. His skin was so smooth and warm and I…

"Lucy…" Natsu groaned and flexed his hips. My eyes went wide. Immediately my blood started to boil and when his hand slipped up my body to grab one of my breasts I arched into his palm and pressed my hips back firmly against him. His fingers started playing with my nipple, teasing it and elongating it. A long, low moan escaped my mouth and when his lips pressed warmly against my neck I tilted my head back and sought out his mouth. Our mouths met, a hunger building inside both of us. I could hear my breathing becoming harsh and I found myself grinding against him, loving the effect I had on him.

Soon I could feel him prodding between my closed legs and on instinct I lifted my leg and bent it back over his. His hand immediately slid down from my breast and started stroking the dripping folds of my cleft. The tip of his finger flicked over my clit and _oh wow_ it felt so good. At the same time his hips were moving behind me, sliding his dick between my wet folds.

"Oh fuck, Lucy!" Natsu said and then angled his hips and drove inside of me in a quick hard thrust.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, surprised by his intrusion, arching my back and pressing my hips tightly against his to bring him as deep as possible. His arm banded tightly across my lower belly and a moment later he withdrew from my body and pounded back inside. There was no slowly increasing rhythm… no, not this time. This time he began to pump hard inside of me, burying his cock within my body as he held me tightly. The angle was incredible, the head of his erection prodding some insanely sensitive area within me and soon I was mumbling incoherent words of encouragement, reaching behind my body to grab whatever part of him I could reach. His hand slid down and he once again began torturing my clit, circling it and then rubbing over it with the pad of his middle finger.

My body jerked, licks of pleasure spreading up and down my spine. His thick cock plunged inside of me, fucking me till I could do nothing else but scream and explode around his throbbing length. Intense spasms took over my body and I was quivering in his arms as he continued to ram into me.

His arms tightened around my body yet again, his face buried behind my neck. I could hear his raspy breathing near my ear and I knew he was close, knew he was teetering on the edge of his climax. I arched my back further, angling my body to take him even deeper and then, with a feral cry, he screamed my name and sunk in to my body to the root, spilling his seed and gripping me so tightly I almost couldn't breathe.

Slowly I felt his body begin to relax behind me, his arms still holding me closely. My muscles felt weak and heavy, like I'd just worked out for hours and I leaned back against Natsu, snuggling into his warmth. For some reason, even though I was exhausted from the long day of traveling and our umm… recent activities, I was wide awake.

"Are you tired?" I asked, turning my head to the side slightly.

He leaned forward and kissed my lips then snuggled back behind me. "Tired for what?"

"Just tired," I said and jumped when he nipped my shoulder.

"Not really. I'm hungry," he answered and then bit me again.

"Don't eat me!" I hollered and wiggled away from him. He followed me across the mattress, laughing as he grabbed my arm and tugged me back over to him.

"But you taste so good…" he said and began nibbling on my neck as I squirmed in his grasp. I finally wrenched myself free from him and jumped out of the bed, gasping as I suddenly realized I was completely naked. "Where are you going?"

I tried unsuccessfully to cover my private areas and then my gaze wandered over to his nakedness still lying on the bed. He was completely unselfconscious apparently, his semi-flaccid member boldly lying on his upper thigh and his arms were crossed beneath his head. I forgot about my own nakedness, entranced by the sight of him sprawled out. Wow… he was gorgeous! I started biting my lower lip, my eyes wandering up his legs and then his hips… mmm. I lingered there for a while then continued my journey up his ripped stomach and thickly muscled chest.

"Lucy?" Natsu interrupted.

"Hmm…?" I answered.

"What are you doing?" he asked and I didn't bother to answer him, just persisted in my perusal of his body. He lifted himself up on an elbow, turning towards me with a raised eyebrow. The urge to pounce on him grew swiftly inside of me but instead I took a step towards the end of the bed, not removing my gaze from his body. When I reached the end, Natsu turned on to his back and propped himself up on both elbows to look down at me. He looked confused but I could see his eyes slipping down my body and his member twitching to life… again. Mmmm…

"Don't move," I said, placing my knee on the mattress, followed by the other.

I watched him visibly gulp, his eyes watching my movements. I got down on my hands and started to crawl up between his legs. He tensed and when I got to his thighs I placed my hands on them and slowly let them slide up. His penis was rapidly hardening now, thickening out and lengthening over his belly. I moaned as I approached the apex of his thighs and then grasped the root of his cock in my hands. He looked delicious, growing even more and I dipped my head down and slowly licked the rounded head.

"Lucy!" Natsu groaned, sounding like he almost was in pain. I wrapped my lips around the tip and sucked, loving the velvety feel of him against my tongue. His stomach was rising and falling rapidly with his breaths and when I took him deeper, sucking my way down and then back up his length to release him, he hissed and threw his head back. "Oh fuck! That feels so good."

I did it again, swallowing more and more of him. My hand let go of his arousal and I braced myself on his stomach, allowing my fingers to rub over his hard abs as I slowly bobbed up and down his length.

He was panting now, moaning with every movement of my mouth. I looked up at him, my mouth still wrapped around his cock and he groaned, throwing his head back and thrusting his hips upwards, hitting the back of my throat. "Ah shit, Lucy… come here!" he said, reaching down and grabbing me beneath my arms. He tugged me up his body and then our mouths crashed together, his tongue slipping instantly between my lips. His hands moved down my body, sliding over my backside and then he spread my legs by slipping his own between mine. His hand guided his thick length to my folds and he pushed inside, burying himself deeply within me. It felt so good. I cried out at the feeling and sat back, taking more of him.

I was straddling his hips, my hands steadying myself on his chest and stomach. I looked down at his straining face and realized, _I had total control_. A shiver of lust sped through my body and I grinned wickedly. Oh yes, this could be fun.

Tentatively I lifted myself up, flexing my hips to slide up his length until just the tip of him was still inside me. I hovered, finding his face before I slammed down, engulfing him in one quick thrust. His mouth dropped open, his eyes squeezing shut. I rolled my hips over him and… oh wow, that felt good, really good. I did it again, gasping at the feel of him. He was so deep this way.

Natsu bucked his hips off the bed, slamming in to me and I gasped but then pushed against his chest. "Let me," I said and leaned down to claim his mouth. I sat back up a moment later and started to move over him, lifting and rolling my hips. I found an angle that had him hitting a spot inside of me that drove me crazy and I repeated the motion over and over again till I was gasping for air, desperately riding his cock. I could feel the tremors mounting, taking over my body and then I snapped as I impaled myself over him, my orgasm ripping through me.

When I finally opened my eyes again, my muscles still spasming, Natsu was staring up at me… pleading me with his eyes to keep going. I leaned down and captured his lips again but this time he wrapped his arms around my back and didn't let me sit back up. Instead be started pumping into me, slapping his body against mine till he gritted his teeth and slammed one last time into my body. I swallowed his cries and raked my fingers through his hair. His chest was heaving beneath my own and when our mouths finally parted I smiled down at him.

"Are you still hungry?" I asked, kissing him again.

He moaned and grinned when I pulled back. "Yes."

"What do you want?"

His hand moved possessively over my backside and squeezed the rounded cheek. "Lots of different things."

Laughing I got up, wincing slightly as he slid out of my body and then crawled off the bed. "Let's get something. I'm starving!"

To be continued…

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**Yup… all sex. *shrugs* oh well. Pent up frustration I guess. Don't worry, the next chapter will have content… maybe.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Enjoy! Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites! Fills me with so much joy!**

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**Chapter 15**

"Thank goodness I went shopping before we left. You have nothing to eat," I stated, staring at the half empty cabinets. I reached up and grabbed a box of crackers that I'd bought the day I'd come over and closed the cabinet then poured myself a glass of fruit juice from the fridge.

"That's why I go over your place," Natsu said, moving behind me and placing his hands on the counter on either side of my body, pinning me in place. His lips pressed softly against the side of my neck and I felt my body shudder at the touch. How could I possibly still be turned on? Was this normal? How could anyone get anything done? I moaned and leaned my head to the side to give him better access, his lips trailing up towards my ear until suddenly my box of crackers was ripped from my hands.

"Natsu!" I yelled and heard him running away, laughing as he flew into the bedroom.

I grabbed the glass of juice and stomped across the room, finding Natsu lying on his bed popping crackers into his mouth with a big grin stretching over his face. "We'll share," he said and held the box out to me.

I smiled at him, I couldn't help it. He was just too cute lying there and I placed the glass on a nearby table and jumped in beside him. I reached for the box but he pulled it away from me at the last minute.

"Come on! I'm hungry!" I whined. He pulled out a cracker and steered it towards my face. "Natsu… no. I can feed myself."

"Aw let me. Come on Lucy!" he complained.

I sealed my lips together as he tried to press a cracker between them and he huffed in frustration. One of his legs slid over my body and then he crawled on top of me till he was straddling my lap, resting most of his weight on his bent knees. I was slightly disappointed that he'd put on his shorts before we'd gotten up to raid the kitchen and I looked up at him, trying to restrain my laughter as he grabbed my chin with one hand and tried to force my mouth open.

"Open up!" he pushed, laughing down at me.

I giggled and turned my head back and forth, trying to avoid his hand which kept darting for my mouth. "Natsu… stop!"

As I screamed he shoved the cracker between my lips and I practically choked as I struggled to swallow while I laughed. I quickly grabbed the juice on the table beside me, Natsu rolling off of me, and chugged a few gulps down, sighing heavily when I lifted the glass from my lips.

Slowly I turned my head back to Natsu who was staring at me, a slightly nervous frown on his face. "Are you ok?"

I gave him the angriest look I could muster, barely managing to do it without bursting out in laughter at the look of terror on his face. I crawled towards him, slowly climbing over his body on my hands and knees. He stared up at me, his eyes wide.

"Lucy?" he said warily.

I leaned close to him, dropping my mouth just above his. My hips slid leisurely over his crotch and I could feel him coming to life as I moved.

"A-Are you mad… at me?" he asked and gulped.

I nodded my head, a serious expression on my face. Slowly I lifted my hand to his face and stroked my fingers down his cheek. "Really mad…"

He gulped again. My fingers skimmed down his jaw and then up to his lips. I traced the edge with the tip of my finger and then just barely brushed over them with my own.

"What are you going to do to make up for it?" I asked, placing another gentle kiss to his lips. My tongue teasingly slipped out and licked across the seam. I heard him suck in a heavy breath and then I rubbed my hips over his, feeling the hard length beneath the fabric.

Natsu groaned, closing his eyes and then lifted his hips slightly off the bed to rub against me. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice coming out thin.

"Well," I started and nipped his lips. "You can start by taking off your shorts."

He didn't hesitate to reach down and yank them off, wiggling beneath me till they were completely off his legs and lying on the end of the bed.

"Then, you have to kiss me," I said.

His lips were on me the instant I said the words and I moaned as his tongue slid inside my mouth, stroking over my own. It felt so good. He was always so warm and I loved the way he sensually devoured me, his tongue demanding yet soft.

"Now what?" he asked, pulling away from me.

"Now… take my shirt off."

My tank top slipped over my head and was thrown to the floor, joined by my shorts soon after. His hands immediately went to my breasts and I sat up quickly, pushing his hands away and shaking my head.

"Nuh uh. I didn't say you could do that," I said, grinning.

"But…" Natsu started and I shushed him with a finger over his lips.

"Let's go to sleep."

His eyebrows quirked and I could see the disappointment on his face as I rolled off of him and lay down with my back facing him. For several minutes there was no movement, just the steady sound of his breathing and I started to wonder if he thought I'd been serious.

"Lucy?" Natsu said.

I continued to face away from him as I answered, "Yes, Natsu?"

"I'm confused."

I quirked my eyebrows and turned over slightly towards him. "What are you confused about?"

He sighed heavily and then said, "Well, are you mad at me or do you want to have sex?"

I laughed… what else could I do? He simply was too adorable. "I was teasing you."

"Oh," his face fell. "So neither then?"

I laughed again and rolled over till I was lying halfway over his body. "No and yes."

He pursed his lips in thought and a few moments later I could see the light bulb go off in his head. His lips found mine an instant later and immediately I was rolled on to my back, his warm hard body pressing mine into the mattress. There was an edge to his kiss that had never been there before, just a hint of desperation that made him stroke into my mouth with slightly deeper and longer caresses. Even the way he was moaning into my mouth was different. Was it the teasing? Did that turn him on? Whatever it was, I liked it.

His touch was more demanding, his hands rubbing up and down my body a bit more possessively. I moaned as his fingers dug into the flesh over my hip and he started rolling his body against mine with devious thrusts. The only piece of clothing separating us was my thin pair of shorts and Natsu slid his hand beneath them, slipping his fingers over my cleft and then teasing the hyper sensitive bundle of nerves.

I loved the way his fingers moved over me, stroking me and bringing me to higher and higher crests of pleasure. Something lingered though, a curiosity… staving off my complete surrender to his caresses. I wrapped my arms around his body and with a shove I rolled us over, just barely managing to get him on to his back. Quickly I scrambled on top of his body and straddled his hips. His eyes stared up into mine, a silent question in their large depths.

"Natsu, what do you like the most so far?" I asked, lightly raking my nails down his chest and abdomen.

The muscles around his throat flexed and then his hands reached out and started caressing the tops of my thighs. "What do you mean?"

I slowly licked my upper lip as my fingers slid over his lower belly, nearing where my body sat on his. His eyes followed my tongue and his fingers pressed more firmly into my thighs. "Well, do you like how I touch you?" I asked, moving my hands back up his torso and circling his nipples.

He nodded his head.

"Where do you like me touching you?" I asked.

He groaned long and loud as I scraped my fingers down his sides. "Everywhere," he answered and I leaned forward till my face was hovering just above his.

"Where, specifically?"

"You know…" he answered, his voice trailing off. I felt him shudder slightly and then I kissed his lips. My hands drifted to his pecs and caressed the muscle there.

"Here?" I asked, massaging him.

He shook his head but moaned when my breasts brushed against his chest.

"And what about here?" I asked, my fingers trailing down to the tops of his abs. He shook his head again and bucked his hips up, rubbing himself against my center. "You want me to touch you there?"

"Yes!" he hissed, lifting his hips again.

I moved between his legs and let my hands continue down. "Here?" I asked, prolonging the moment. "And what do you want me to touch it with… my hands or my mouth?"

He groaned again, loudly. "Anything…"

"Tell me exactly, Natsu."

He gritted his teeth and then lifted his hips in to the air. "Mouth… please. Put it in your mouth."

For some reason, his huskily said words sent a chill through my body and a slow trickle of moisture dripped down the inside of my thighs. Just hearing him, how badly he wanted me, made my heart race.

I dipped my head down and wrapped my lips around the head of his erection. Natsu gasped and thrust his hips up, pushing himself deeper between my lips.

"Mmm, is this what you like?" I asked and then slid my mouth down, sucking on him and then sliding back up.

"Fuck, yes!"

I continued sucking him, pushing him deeper and deeper with each pass of my mouth until I felt the veins in his arousal pulsing against my tongue. Hovering above the wide crest of his cock and licking him with the tip of my tongue, I said, "Natsu, I want to feel you inside me." My tongue circled the smooth head.

Natsu groaned loudly and propped himself up on his elbows to look down at me. "Then come here," he said, reaching for me. He grasped me beneath my arms and pulled me up his body till his mouth found mine. His hands were all over my body, rubbing up and down my back and then smoothing over my sides. He rolled us over till he was lying on top of me and I instantly parted my legs for him.

"I want you so bad," he said and then thrust inside my body, making me cry out from the intense feeling of his cock burying itself deeply. He didn't hesitate even a second before he started pounding inside me, grunting as he pushed deeper and deeper. His aggressiveness turned me on, making me writhe under him and lift my hips to match his thrusts. My heart was pounding hard and fast, my chest heaving with heavy breaths. Natsu's own breathing was harsh beside my ear and with every thrust we both would moan and cry out.

The incredible fullness felt unbelievable, sliding in and out of my body, impaling my wet quivering flesh over and over again. One of my hands sifted into his thick hair and the other slid down to the small of his back, feeling his muscles flex as he thrust into me.

"Natsu, it feels so good… don't stop!" I cried out, desperately searching for the release that was building rapidly inside of me.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck and quickened his pace even more, slapping his hips against mine and my sensitive walls began to clench around his thick length, his dick stroking inside me. "Oh fuck, Lucy. I'm gonna come."

I held on to him tightly, climbing ever higher, teetering on the edge of my climax till suddenly he jerked hard and roared his release. My body shattered as I came, my mouth opening and a strangled yell slipped through my lips.

Both of our bodies were shuddering, ragged breaths passing through our trembling lips. I held him close and when he finally lifted his head and looked down at me, a wealth of emotion made my throat constrict.

I never wanted to let go of him…

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I was the first to wake up the next day, the sun streaming through the window, making me know that it was already late morning. Somehow through the course of the night, Natsu had managed to completely pin me down, his head resting on my chest with one arm flung heavily across my body and one of his legs draped over my hips. I reached a hand up slowly and gently brushed back a few strands of pink hair from his forehead. He mumbled something in his sleep but I couldn't make out the sounds and I watched him smile and then snuggle back against me.

I smiled as well, enjoying being able to see him like this. Even in his sleep he was so expressive, his emotions clear.

When my stomach started to rumble I carefully tried to extricate myself, lifting his arm and rolling slowly away but he latched on to me and pulled me back, mumbling something about it not being fair. _What the heck was he dreaming about?_

My stomach groaned again and this time I slid out from under him and started to sit up.

"Lucy!" Natsu hollered, practically jumping across the small space and wrapping an arm around my waist, holding me so tightly it was practically a vice.

"Natsu?" I said, concerned. There was no smile on his face any more, instead a frown had taken its place. "Are you ok?"

His eyes snapped open and he gazed wide eyed up at me. I could almost see his dream fading away from his eyes and then watched him shake his head and smile. "Where are you going?" he asked finally, loosening his grip on me.

"I was going to get something to eat," I answered and couldn't resist leaning over and placing a kiss on his lips.

He moaned deep in his throat and when I pulled away with a small laugh he grabbed my wrist and tugged me back. He caught me completely unawares so I fell, hitting the mattress with my back and a moment later his lips found mine again as half his body covered my own. His warm tongue slid inside my mouth and my body reacted instantly, a wave of heat flooding my stomach and then spreading out to every limb. I responded, lifting my arms to circle around his neck and angled my face to deepen the heady kiss. Another moan rumbled up his throat and then one of his hands found my stomach and started sliding up, slowly approaching my chest.

My stomach growled again and Natsu pulled away, grinning as he looked at me. "You _are_ hungry."

I bit my lip and nodded my head. "I told you."

"Let's get you something then."

We both got up and I started pulling on my clothes, watching Natsu as he walked around the room, searching around the bed. His muscular body was completely unclad and I openly admired him as he moved.

"Do you see my shorts?" he asked, lifting up the blankets on the end of the bed and looking under.

"Check over there," I suggested, pointing to the side I'd been sleeping on… more just to see him walk around naked longer.

After walking around the bed and not seeing them he shook his head and said, "No, not there either. Where could they be?"

I stepped to the foot of the bed and bent over to look down. Lying under the bed was Natsu's red shorts and I smiled as I stood up. "Nope, don't see them either."

He scratched his head and frowned, "Where could they be?"

I laughed and shrugged, "I don't know."

He started wandering around the room, searching every corner and then finally began crawling on the floor. It was quite a sight. His body was so sexy, every inch carved to perfection. And what was even better was… he had no idea! He was completely clueless about how gorgeous he was and apparently modesty wasn't an issue with him either.

"Oi! I found them!" he said excitedly, yanking them out from under the bed.

"Oh good," I said, slightly disappointed when he pulled them on.

He smiled and straightened, then frowned, "Hey, didn't you look under there?"

I laughed and skipped out of the room. "Yup!"

"But…"

I just laughed again and walked into the kitchen. I started piling things into my arms and when Natsu walked out and joined me he leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me. "Did you do that on purpose?" he asked, grinning.

I chuckled and walked over beside him. I began unloading the pile of stuff in my arms on to the counter and then turned to face him. "Yes I did," I answered.

His face lit up in amusement. "Why?"

I placed my hands flat on his chest, staring between them and answered, "Because you're cute."

He laughed and reached an arm out to my waist, tugging me against him. "You're weird."

Grinning I nodded and tilted my face up, kissing him lightly. "I'm dating _you_ aren't I…"

* * *

The day seemed to mirror my mood as we walked side by side down the path that led to the guild. It was beautiful and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. My tummy was blissfully full after stuffing my face although somehow Natsu had managed to eat nearly twice as much as me. Where did he put it? Men, so not fair.

We entered the small town, my hand in Natsu's and as we rounded the corner the guild came in to view. "Lucy, can I still touch you?" he asked, startling me from my thoughts.

I turned my head and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he began, reaching up with his free hand and scratching the back of his head nervously. "Can I still kiss you and do this," he held up our joined hands, "…in front of everyone?"

Pleasant warmth spilled into my gut and I smiled widely at him. "Only on one condition," I answered, loving the way his eyes grew wide as I spoke. "I'm allowed to do it too."

"Really?!" he said excitedly and then laughed slightly wickedly. "I can't wait to make fun of Gray."

I rolled my eyes and walked on, turning when we got to the gate entrance for the guild. The doors swung wide as we entered and a few faces stopped and stared at us as we made our way in. Towards the right of the room, Levy sat, her face buried in a thick book and I let go of Natsu's hand and said, "I'm gonna go see Levy."

"Alright, I'm gonna find frosty balls," he said and took off at a sprint for the rear of the building.

I watched him go then sighed when he slammed through the door, practically breaking it off its hinges, and disappeared. Levy was still lost in her book and as I sat down she finally lifted her head, her glasses sliding down her nose and then she smiled warmly at me. "Hey! Welcome back! You guys were gone a while for that one."

"Yea," I answered. "Speaking of which… where's Mira?"

Levy turned and we both looked around, searching the bar area but didn't find her. "She's probably out back. Was your job successful?" Levy asked.

I nodded my head and grinned. "Very."

An arm draped around my shoulders and I turned my head to see Cana sliding up next to me on the bench, "Oh, sounds like there's a story behind this one…"

To be continued…

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**I love NaLu! **

**That's it… all done with the authors note :P**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well!**

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**Chapter 16**

"It's about damn time you guys got together. You've been in love with each other since you met," Cana said after I finished telling her and Levy about Natsu and mine's quest.

I sputtered nervously, "In love? I didn't say anything about love."

Both Cana and Levy laughed and I turned accusing eyes towards Levy.

"Sorry Lu-chan but Cana's right. You guys were so close that sometimes I would forget that you weren't dating," Levy said, taking her glasses off and laying them on the table.

"Who made the first move?" Cana asked, leaning towards me.

I covered my flaming face with my hands, noticing several people in the guild turning to look at us. Why was Cana always so loud? Not that I cared if people knew but I didn't want everyone to know _everything._

I thought back to the night we first kissed, remembering the way he'd felt sliding up behind me and his lips trailing from my neck to my lips. I nearly moaned out loud in the middle of the guild hall but thankfully restrained the urge. "Uh, well… he did I guess," I answered Cana's questioned and then listened to Levy squeal and clap her hands excitedly.

"Wow, I didn't think he had it in him," Cana said and then asked, "Where is he?"

I nodded towards the back door and answered, "He went to find Gray. Oh and, have you guys seen Happy?"

Both girls shook their heads and then Mira came barreling towards us, running around the table and throwing her arms around me.

"I'm so happy!" Mira shouted, squeezing me so tightly I couldn't breathe. When she finally let me go I turned in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.

"You have some explaining to do," I said and Mira simply giggled and skipped away, using someone's request for another beer as an excuse to escape.

Levy leaned forward, "Looks like everyone knows now."

As she said that, the back door burst open and Natsu and Gray came inside, arguing animatedly and I could only guess what they were fighting about.

"Lucy, he doesn't believe me," Natsu complained as they came up to our table.

"Because I'm not stupid. Who would ever believe you had a girlfriend?" Gray said, taking a seat next to me. Natsu sat down on the opposite side and for some reason he was all stiff and fidgety.

"Are you ok?" I asked quietly, leaning slightly towards him.

He turned towards me and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yea," he answered but I could tell there was something bothering him.

"Aw, how cute. He's embarrassed!" Cana cooed from above her beer mug.

Surprisingly, Natsu didn't say a thing. "Of course he is. He's been tellin' everyone that he's dating Lucy and now everyone will know the truth," Gray said.

Looking by the slight blush on Natsu's face I couldn't help but wonder if Cana was right, he did look embarrassed. But why?

"Kiss her then if you're dating her," Gray continued. "You won't because you know she'll kick your ass."

I stood up from the bench before Natsu could say anything and moved behind him, wrapping my arms around his body and leaned forward to press my lips against the side of his neck. He stiffened at first but he quickly relaxed and leaned into me. I heard a loud gasp nearby and then Natsu turned his head and sealed his lips over mine.

Everything and everyone around us disappeared, my thoughts consumed by the kiss. His lips were always so warm and soft and I found myself sinking in to him. My body practically melted into his and before I knew it, Natsu had pulled me on to his lap and my arms were looped around his neck.

"Woo! Go Lucy!" Cana's voice filtered into my thoughts and I pulled my mouth away, blushing when I realized the position we were in. "It doesn't look like she's kicking his ass Gray."

I looked over at Gray and laughed at the look on his face. His mouth was hanging open in stunned amazement and I reached over and pushed his chin up with my fingers, still sitting in Natsu's lap. "Is it really _that_ surprising?"

His head nodded slowly and suddenly Natsu's fist shot out and he punched him in the shoulder. "Told you," Natsu said and I quickly jumped off his lap, knowing that all too soon they would be fighting again.

Several minutes later after they'd both calmed down, Natsu came and took a seat beside me where I was sitting with Levy. "Hey, have you heard anything about Happy?" he asked.

I shook my head and answered, "I asked around to see if anyone has seen him and no one has. He's probably still with his parents."

Natsu nodded his head. We chatted easily with Levy for a while, laughing at Gray who kept staring at us uneasily and eventually I decided I wanted to go check out the progress of my apartment.

"Are you hungry?" Natsu asked me as we made our way down the street to my place.

"A little bit. Let's see if my apartments done and then get some food somewhere," I suggested and Natsu nodded his head.

We got to my place in a few minutes later and before we even walked inside I could see that it was still under construction. Several garbage bins lined the front of the small building, each filled to almost overflowing with pieces of dry wall and buckets of paint. I would have thought I'd be more disappointed but surprisingly I wasn't. It didn't bother me in the least to have to stay with Natsu for a few more nights. It's not like I planned on spending them alone anyway.

"Where do you want to go to eat?" I asked as we stopped in front of my apartment building and looked around.

Natsu thought hard for a moment, food being one of the most important things in his life, and then asked, "Can we go to the store and buy a whole bunch of food and then make something together? I like your cooking better anyway."

I smiled and nodded my head. "Yea, of course. But I think you just like being able to _make_ and _eat _as much as you want."

A smirk crossed his face and he reached down to thread his fingers with mine. "I don't know what you're talking about."

We made our way to a nearby grocery store and practically filled a cart to overflowing then made our way to Natsu's place. It took several minutes to unpack all the food we'd bought and then I started putting together something for both of us to eat. Natsu helped, chopping up the meat and veggies as I handed them to him and I couldn't keep the smile off my face as we worked together. It was such a strange thing, doing such mundane tasks with him but somehow it was really fun and also somehow… sexy.

I shook my head, laughing at myself; only I would find something like this sexy. I mean come on, we were cooking. I had a pile of raw chicken in front of me and a pot of water boiling nearby.

Still though, watching Natsu beside me, his eyes concentrating on the task of chopping up a head of broccoli with his tongue slightly poking out of his mouth was quite simply adorable.

Putting down my knife and moving to the sink, I squirted some soap in my hands and lathered them up, washing them and drying them off before I slowly moved up behind Natsu and wrapped my arms around his waist. I loved how his shirt was always open and I could easily slide my hands over his tight stomach and then up to his muscular pecs.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Natsu asked, still working intently on the head of broccoli.

I let my hands glide up his body to his shoulders and I gently tugged his shirt off and worked it down his arms till it came to his wrists.

"Lucy!" Natsu said, laughing as he let go of the knife for a moment to allow me to pull his shirt the rest of the way off. As soon as it was off he picked the knife back up and continued to chop up the line of vegetables I'd laid out for him. While he did that, I let my hands wander freely over his body, caressing every inch of his stomach and chest before moving to his back. My fingers traced over his shoulders then slowly made their way down his back, stopping at the waistband of his pants and then sliding back around to the front of his belly.

His body felt so good beneath my hands, all hard muscle and toned flesh. My lips pressed wet kisses to the center of his back and then my fingers started to creep underneath the top of his pants. I felt his stomach muscles tighten and then heard him drop the knife to the counter with a loud clang.

"Mmm…" he murmured, leaning back slightly against my body. His voice was husky and rough, rumbling from somewhere deep inside of him that made something flip in my own gut.

I let my fingers continue their course, sliding slowly beneath his pants and then his boxers till I found the base of his growing erection. A loud moan slipped up my own throat as I wrapped my fingers around him. It was such an incredible turn on, holding him like this, his dick thickening more and more within my grasp.

My hands drifted up and down his arousal which was rapidly approaching a raging hard on and I could sense Natsu's breathing get more and more ragged. "Hey Natsu," I said while my hand stroked his shaft. I slid my hand to the tip and then teased the head with the pad of my thumb, making circles around the sensitive area. I heard him grunt in reply and then he flexed his hips into my hand. "How about we skip lunch… for now?" I suggested.

Natsu quickly nodded his head and I watched his neck muscles strain as he gulped audibly. My fingers were still steadily rubbing up and down his hard length and already I could feel my body responding to just my own actions. Liquid desire dripped down the inside of my thighs and I found myself grinding against his body.

Another ragged breath slipped from his lips and he abruptly turned and grabbed me, his hands finding my hips and roughly pulling my body against his. His lips hungrily sought out mine and a moment later he was struggling with the fastenings of my shorts and jerking them off my body.

An instant later he turned and lifted me up on to the counter, depositing my naked backside on the cool counter top. "Fuck, I gotta have you now!" Natsu roared and then snapped his pants off, letting them fall to the floor at his feet. He grasped his erection in his hand and started feeding my wet entrance with his thick cock, pushing inside and making me groan as he sunk deeper and deeper inside of me. When he jerked fully inside, stretching me, I threw my head back and moaned loudly, digging my fingers into his shoulders as my body adjusted to the feel of him.

"Oh Natsu… that feels so good," I moaned, feeling a frenzy building within me.

He started pumping in and out of me, ramming hard while his hands gripped my hips tightly, pulling me forward to meet every thrust from his body. I loved watching him, his eyes dark with lust, several strands of hair clinging to his sweat dotted forehead and his lips parted slightly while ragged breaths passed between. He leaned forward and placed his mouth against mine, kissing me breathlessly while he jerked roughly in and out of my body.

I closed my eyes and let myself feel him, really feel his hard length sliding in and out of my wet sheath. The sensations were incredible, his cock rubbing over my sensitive walls and prodding at a spot deep within me. My arms were draped over his shoulders and then our foreheads met while he continued to pump in and out, over and over again. Our moans merged, crying out in time with the slapping of our bodies.

He rhythmically stroked within my wet folds, fucking me tirelessly and I wrapped my legs around his waist. It was so good, _too_ good. My nails bit into his shoulder blades and I felt my body clenching over his thick cock, nearing release.

"I'm gonna come Lucy, oh God I'm gonna come!" Natsu cried out, gripping my backside, pressing in hard enough to bruise. I tightened my core, squeezing his dick with my feminine muscles and a sharp cry escaped my mouth when Natsu rammed into me… _hard,_ over and over till I screamed and shattered, my body shuddering violently and my orgasm ripping through me. "Oh fuck, FUCK!" Natsu hollered and then jerked one last time within me and spilled his hot seed deep inside of my body.

We stayed there for a while, Natsu's body leaning against mine as we held each other propped up. I slowly calmed down, my heart still thudding loudly in my chest. I opened my eyes and chuckled quietly when the first thing I saw was a scattered pile of chopped up vegetables on the counter beside me.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked, lifting his head from my shoulder.

I leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Nothing," I answered.

I winced when Natsu started to pull out of my body, reawakening some of the tender muscles that instinctively clamped down on his still hard cock.

"Mmm, Lucy," Natsu said, pressing back inside of me before he'd fully retreated. I groaned again and let my head fall back.

"Natsu, what are you…" I started to ask and then he slid slowly back out of me. I sucked in a deep breath and when he plunged back inside I moaned loudly and grabbed a hold of his shoulders. "Again?"

His dick was hardening, his pace slowly increasing. "You feel too good," he answered and then a loud knock echoed across the room.

Natsu froze, his cock still lodged inside of me. He looked at me briefly and then called out, "Who is it?"

A small voice called out from the other side of the door, "It's Wendy. Can I… can I come in?"

To be continued…

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**Sorry about the very slow update and short chapter. Work has just been… well hell really. I've been having a hard time concentrating on my writing once I get home because of the stress but I think I snapped out of it the other day. Hopefully it won't be such a long time between updates next time. **

**I hope you all enjoyed! Would love to hear from ya!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi all! I hope you like it. Good things to come... or bad, depends how you look at it.**

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**Chapter 17**

I stared at Natsu, shock written on both of our faces. _Wendy_… what was she doing here?

"Ah, one second!" Natsu hollered and quickly slid out of my body and bent down to pull on his pants while I worked on pulling on my own clothing. I couldn't help but wonder how much Wendy had heard while she'd been in front of the house. Hopefully she hadn't been there long.

Natsu gave me one last look, lust still lingering in his eyes, before he walked across the room and pulled the door open.

"Thank you, I'm sorry to interr… err bother you," Wendy started and I moved up behind Natsu, saying hi over his shoulder.

"Oh, hi Lucy!" she answered and I cringed at the recognition in here eyes. She was acting surprised but I could tell that she'd already known I was here by the slightly nervous look in her eyes.

"Is everything ok?" I asked, hoping that ignoring the obvious would make it less awkward.

Natsu and I stepped back to allow Wendy to enter and he closed the door behind her once she was inside. Her face seemed to change completely and a weight seemed to suddenly be pressing against her body as her shoulders sagged. "Has Happy come back yet?" Wendy asked, looking at both of us.

I looked up at Natsu beside me and he shook his head. "Not yet. Why?" he asked.

"I'm just… worried. Charle said they would be back in five days and it's already been seven so I was wondering if maybe Happy had said anything to you," Wendy said.

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest, his eyebrows furrowing. "Happy didn't say how long he was going for but even if he did, he never gets it right. He's not very good with time."

Wendy nodded her head solemnly and said, "Charle always comes back when she says she's going to come back though."

"Don't worry Wen…" Natsu began but I put a hand on his arm and interrupted.

"Wendy is right. Charle wouldn't come back late without telling someone," I said, concern starting to spread uneasily through me.

"It's just not like her," Wendy continued. "I was going to go look for them but when I heard you guys were back I thought I would come ask you first."

"You're going to go find Charle and Happy?" Natsu asked.

Wendy nodded her head and started to turn till I stopped her.

"We'll go too," I said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Her eyes immediately brightened and her entire demeanor seemed to shift. "Really?!" she asked.

I glanced over at Natsu beside me who looked slightly disappointed and elbowed him in the ribs. "Yea. We'll meet you at the guild in an hour," I answered.

Wendy nodded her head, her blue pigtails bobbing as she did and then she quickly turned and headed out the front door. "Thank you!" she yelled over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her and then it was just Natsu and me again.

"Why do we have to go?" Natsu complained while he followed me back in to the kitchen.

"Aren't you just a little bit worried about Happy?" I asked while I turned on the burners to his stove and started tossing all the ingredients we'd cut earlier into the sizzling pan.

"Happy always does this. Why should I be worried?" he asked, moving behind me and sliding his arms around my waist. His lips pressed against the side of my neck and it took all my resistance to keep from easing back completely in his embrace and kissing him back.

"Happy might but Charle wouldn't. If Wendy is that concerned, I think we should be too," I stated and began stirring the contents in the pan.

Natsu sighed heavily and tightened his grip on me. "I guess you're right. Charle is a bit more responsible than Happy is."

I laughed and commented, "Wonder where he could have gotten that from?" Natsu nipped at my shoulder and then ran a hand up my stomach, cupping my breast while the other smoothed down to the apex of my thighs. "Natsu! We don't have time!"

"But I still want you," he said. His lips were moving over my neck, sucking gently. I surrendered to his touch, leaning back against him. His fingers deftly played with body, one hand teasing my puckering nipple while the other slowly stroked over the increasingly wet folds between my legs.

The scent of something burning invaded my thoughts and I quickly snapped out of the lusty haze that I was in. "Go get our stuff ready while I finish making this," I said and started slapping his hands away.

"But Lucy!" Natsu complained and I wiggled out of his grasp a moment before he was about to wrap his arms around me again.

"Go!" I ordered and then smacked his ass as he turned and started walking away.

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An hour later, Natsu and I strode up to the guild for the second time that day, hand in hand with large packs on each of our backs. Wendy was already waiting for us so as soon as we got there we headed out, finding the path that led north east and starting our journey.

"How far is it?" I asked after we'd been walking for a few minutes.

"It's like a days walk from here. Since we're starting late, we probably won't get there till early afternoon tomorrow," Natsu answered. "We'll have to camp out tonight."

I nodded my head and then moved up a few steps to walk beside Wendy who had been extremely quiet so far, more so than usual. I could tell she was worried and although I was a bit as well, it wouldn't help to dwell on it right now. "So what have you been doing the past few days?" I asked her.

Wendy turned to me and answered, "Not much really. Charle doesn't like me going out without her but I did do a job with Gray and Erza. It was quick and only took a day though so most of the time I was just hanging out at the guild."

"That's good," I said.

Wendy sidled up closer to me and whispered, "So it's true then?"

I stared at her, unsure what she was talking about and wrinkled my brow at her. "Is what true?"

She giggled and leaned even closer. "About you and Natsu. You guys are really together?" she asked.

I smiled and turned back to glance at Natsu quickly before turning back to Wendy and nodding my head. "Yea, I guess we are."

Wendy clapped her hands excitedly and a wide smile stretched over her face. "That's so great! I'd wondered when I went to Natsu's house earlier and heard those weird sounds coming from inside and then you guys were both there and…"

She stopped when she saw the shocked look on my face. I knew I had to be bright red and I laughed nervously while I scratched the back of my head.

"Errr, sorry. I didn't hear much," Wendy said and then kicked a small rock out of her path. "Everyone at the guild is talking about it. I even saw Macao and Wakaba exchanging money."

"Money?" Natsu interrupted, stepping between Wendy and I.

"Yea, Romeo told me they had a bet about you two getting together," Wendy answered.

"Romeo huh…" I said, winking and subtly changing the subject.

Wendy blushed adorably and kicked another pebble out of the way. Ever since the S-class trials I'd noticed how she seemed to light up whenever Romeo was around and because of the time skip, Romeo was actually a year older than her now. At first I was glad to see that she had someone her age that she could hang out with. Because of her magic abilities, she tended to be with people older than her all the time and she was definitely mature for her age because of it but she also needed time with people her own age so that she could have fun.

"What do you mean, Romeo huh…?" Natsu asked, looking at me confused.

"Well, to quote Happy, I think they liiiike each other," I answered.

Natsu's eyes went wide and then a huge smile lit up his face. "You like Romeo?!" he asked Wendy and the poor girl blushed even more.

"No!" she quickly answered, a little bit too quickly and then Natsu draped an arm around her shoulders.

"We'll take him on a quest with us when we get back. Macao doesn't mind when I take him with me," Natsu suggested and I beamed at him. It was so sweet of him to offer to do that.

"Really?" Wendy asked, looking up at him shyly.

"Yea, that's a great idea! We'll do something fun!" I injected and Natsu nodded his head as we continued to walk.

* * *

Several hours later, the three of us made camp, the night dark with clouds overhead and a fire raging in front of us, provided by Natsu of course. We ate and then Wendy laid down for the night, curling up in her sleeping bag on the far side of the fire. Natsu and I sat beside each other, his thumb slowly stroking over the top of my hand where it rested over mine.

"So people had a bet going about us," I said quietly, not wanting to wake Wendy up.

"I wonder why," Natsu said.

I laid back and looked up at the starless sky. "I guess people knew before we did." Natsu laid back next to me, rolling on to his side to look down at me. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yea, of course," he answered.

His hand started to leisurely trail down my arm, his fingers skimming lightly over my skin. My body immediately started to react, streams of warmth running throughout my limbs. "When did you start to like me?" I asked. The fire was reflecting off his eyes, giving him a shadowed appearance and heightening the planes and angles of his features. I loved looking at his face, his expressive eyes which never held anything back. I don't know why I asked that question. I wasn't even sure I wanted to know the answer. It's not like we've confessed any sort of undying love or anything although I'm starting to wonder if that is what these strange feelings are that run through me every time I look at him or he touches me.

"I've liked you from the moment I met you. You know that," he answered and I smiled warmly at him. Of course, leave it to him to find the most straightforward answer.

"I didn't mean like that. I meant like as in, like me the way you like me now," I further questioned.

I watched him think for a moment, his lips pursing and then he finally answered, "I don't really know. It just was there and then one day I started to notice it." His hand smoothed over my shoulder and then cupped my face. "What about you?"

I turned my face into his hand and placed a kiss to his palm. "The same, I guess. Maybe a part of me has always felt like this but I didn't know it."

He leaned forward and gently sealed his mouth over mine, slowly slipping his tongue between my lips and causing me to groan into his mouth. "Shhh, Wendy will be able to hear you," he said, grinning down at me and then kissing me again.

Gosh, would it always be like this' this overwhelming, consuming feeling whenever he touched me? It was like my body was on constant alert for his nearness. Every second that we weren't like this felt like an eternity and I needed to make up for the time lost.

As quietly as I could, I kissed him back, rolling over so that our bodies were flush together lying on our sides. His hand grasped my waist and he slowly smoothed it down over my hip and then, with a deep plunge of his tongue, he cupped my backside and squeezed roughly.

"Natsu!" I squeaked as quietly as I could, pulling my mouth away in surprise.

His grip tightened around my body, pulling me towards him till our mouths met again. His hand resumed its previous position, gripping my backside and then I felt his fingers slowly inch down till he was slipping beneath the fabric of my skirt and cupping my barely clad bottom. I couldn't help the shiver of lust that traveled through me or the way my hand fisted in the fabric of his shirt over his chest. My body was reacting on instinct, pulling him closer to me to satisfy some deep need that was growing.

It was Natsu who groaned this time, the rumbling sound vibrating into my throat and he leaned into me, pushing me over till I was lying back on the ground with his body over mine. I loved it when he got like this. I could practically feel the desire inside of him pulsing from his body into mine. His mouth became hungry, angling across my own and both of my hands found his broad back, stroking it in long sweeps till I found the hem of his shirt and slid my fingers beneath. Mmm, I loved how he felt. His skin was so warm and soft yet unyielding wherever I touched. I found the curve of his lower back and on their own my fingers followed the curve down to his smoothly rounded butt cheeks.

Inwardly I groaned. He was just so perfect. Every inch of him was mouthwateringly delicious and no matter how much I touched him, it never seemed like enough. My body craved him to the point where I forgot about everything else and right now, I wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and forget where we were and the fact that Wendy was sleeping just a dozen yards away.

Natsu seemed to sense my urgency because a moment later he lifted his head and gulped visibly. "I want… do you maybe, want to go somewhere else?" he suggested, his face flushed.

I looked around the area of the small campsite and then nodded my head. "You go first. I'll meet you in a minute," I answered and smiled when he looked at me funny.

"Why?" he asked.

"If Wendy happened to wake up and see us both leaving together she would wonder. At least this way if she wakes up when she hears you leave you can just say you're going to the bathroom," I said.

Natsu quirked his head and then nodded. "Alright. Don't take too long though."

I watched him casually walk out of the clearing and in to the thick brush of the forest. I waited patiently to see if Wendy woke up but she didn't stir and then a few minutes later I got up and followed the path Natsu had walked. It was dark so it was hard to see where I was going and after several dozen yards I quietly whispered Natsu's name.

No response.

I walked a bit further, starting to get slightly uneasy. Had I gone the wrong way? Why would he have gone this far? I stopped and called out, slightly louder this time.

… still nothing.

I looked around, the area almost completely dark. A shiver raced through my body and I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Natsu," I called out, my throat constricting slightly. Where was he? I walked to the side a little, moving off the path and suddenly I heard a quiet noise.

"Natsu?" I said again, my voice coming out shaky. The noise sounded again and I turned abruptly towards it. Vaguely I could see something in the distance and before my eyes could focus, it barreled in to me, furry arms practically strangling me.

"Lucy!" Happy's voice cried out, his face buried against my neck.

"Happy! What are you doing here?" I asked, my arms instantly wrapping around him and then tensing when I felt tears wetting my shoulder. "What's wrong?!"

I heard him practically choke on a sob and then he lifted his head. "They, took him!"

Panic bubbled in my gut and I quickly asked, "Took who?! What are you talking about Happy?"

Happy didn't bother to pick up his head this time as he mumbled his reply, "Natsu. They took him."

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To be continued…

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**Hope you liked it. I appreciate all the encouraging reviews! You all know by now that work has been really stressing me and it's so nice to hear from you guys. I have a hard time concentrating anymore and I'm sure some of you have seen me doing some other stories. I'll always see this one through though. This is my #1 priority.**

**Thanks again! **


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